Son takes All-Star MVP in 35 minutes
Son scored twice in 35 minutes to win MLS All-Star MVP on 29 July
The three lines
- Son scored in the 20th and 23rd minutes of his first MLS All-Star Game and took MVP
- He has scored in three straight league games since returning, five in all competitions
- LAFC sit second in the West on 33 points, level with Vancouver ahead of Saturday
Key questions
- How many goals did Son score in the All-Star Game
- Two, in the 20th and 23rd minutes, in 35 minutes on the pitch. He was named most valuable player on his All-Star debut.
- When is LAFC's next match
- Away at Vancouver Whitecaps, 2 August Korean time. Both clubs are on 33 points, so the result decides second place and a share of the lead.
- How many consecutive games has Son scored in
- Three straight league matches since returning, part of a run of five goals in all competitions this season and four consecutive LAFC wins.
Son Heung-min played 35 minutes of the MLS All-Star Game on 29 July, scored twice inside three minutes, and left with the most valuable player award on his first appearance in the fixture. For a league still arguing about whether marquee signings translate into results, the more useful question is what the surrounding numbers say about his first year at LAFC.
1. The match
Both goals came early and close together — the 20th and 23rd minutes. He was withdrawn at the interval of a match designed around rotation, which is why the 35-minute figure appears in every account: two goals in that window is an unusually dense return even for an exhibition.
All-Star games are not evidence of much on their own. The reason this one is worth noting is that it sits inside a run rather than standing apart from it.
2. The season so far
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| All-Star Game goals | 2 in 35 minutes |
| Consecutive league games scored | 3 |
| Goals in all competitions | 5 |
| LAFC current run | 4 straight wins |
| LAFC points | 33, second in the Western Conference |
| Next opponent | Vancouver Whitecaps, also on 33 points |
The consecutive-scoring run is the number that matters more than the MVP award. Three straight league games with a goal, inside a four-match winning sequence, is the difference between a signing that sells shirts and one that moves a table position. LAFC went from mid-table to second during that stretch.
3. What is at stake on Saturday
The Vancouver fixture on 2 August Korean time is a straight swap for position: both clubs are on 33 points, and the winner takes clear second with a claim on the lead.
There is a second layer to it. Vancouver eliminated LAFC in last season's playoffs, which gives the match a shape beyond the standings. Squad availability had not been published at the time of writing, so how much of that history actually gets settled on the pitch is not yet knowable.