Hit in the face, denied at the goal line... Son Heung-min's full-time commitment ends in a miserable Washington road trip

[Financial News] Son Heung-min of Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), who is playing in Major League Soccer (MLS), failed to score again amid bad luck. As the ace's scoring drought continued, LAFC's winless streak also stretched to five games.
Son started and played the full 90 minutes in LAFC's 2026 MLS Round 23 away match against D.C. United at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on the 30th Korea time, but he could not record a goal contribution and had to watch his team settle for a 0-0 draw.
With that, Son has gone seven straight official matches without a goal contribution across MLS and the Leagues Cup since the Vancouver match earlier this month in Round 19. So far this season, he has six goals in total, including four in league play and two in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Son lined up as the left-sided attacker in a front three with Denis Bouanga and Jeremy Ebobisse. He showed lively movement, but was heavily marked by the opposition. In the 20th minute of the first half, he also had a frightening moment when he was struck in the face by Japanese defender Kimito Nono.
Chances did come his way. In the 16th minute of the second half, Son unleashed a sharp left-footed shot from the center of the penalty area, but it was blocked by a defender just before crossing the goal line. After Ebobisse was substituted in the 36th minute of the second half, Son moved into the center and tried another decisive left-footed effort in the 40th minute, receiving a cutback from Yevhen Cheberko, but that attempt also came to nothing.
LAFC's overall attack was also badly off form. The team fired 16 shots on the day, but only one was on target. In contrast, D.C. United looked sharper, producing 15 shots, including three on target.
LAFC faced several dangerous moments, including a shot by Jackson Hopkins following a cross from Nathan Ordaz in the fourth minute of the second half, but escaped defeat thanks to a brilliant performance from goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
With the draw, LAFC failed to end its recent five-match winless run in league play, which includes three draws and two losses, and remained third in the Western Conference with 36 points. D.C. United stayed 11th in the Eastern Conference with 25 points.


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