Son Heung-min's scoring streak ends at four — LAFC lose 1-0, miss top spot in the West
Son Heung-min played the full 90 minutes without a goal or assist in the LAFC home MLS match against San Diego FC on August 16, 2026, ending his four-match scoring streak; LAFC lost 1-0 to an 87th-minute Anders Dreyer penalty and missed the chance to take first place in the Western Conference
The three lines
- Result — LAFC 0-1 San Diego FC at BMO Stadium on August 16, 2026; Anders Dreyer's 87th-minute penalty decided it
- Son's line — 90 minutes, four shots (most by any player on either side), no goal or assist; four-match MLS scoring streak ends
- The penalty — LAFC defender Ryan Porteous conceded it with a midair handball, ending both the unbeaten run and the chance at top spot in the West
Key questions
- How long was Son Heung-min's scoring streak?
- Four matches. The MLS run he carried through after the 2026 World Cup ended against San Diego FC on August 16, 2026. He played the full 90 minutes and took four shots — more than any other player on the pitch — without scoring.
- How did LAFC lose?
- A single penalty in the 87th minute. LAFC defender Ryan Porteous conceded it with a midair handball, and San Diego's Anders Dreyer converted. The match had been goalless until then.
- How many goals does Son have this season?
- Six in official competition — four in the MLS regular season and two in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Coming after the Leagues Cup exit covered here on August 15, this defeat also cost LAFC the chance to move into first place in the Western Conference.
On August 15 this page covered LAFC's Leagues Cup exit. A day later, at home in a league match, LAFC lost again.
This time Son Heung-min's scoring run stopped with them.
1. The 87th minute
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | LAFC 0 – 1 San Diego FC |
| Date and venue | August 16, 2026, BMO Stadium, Los Angeles |
| Winning goal | Anders Dreyer, 87th minute, penalty |
| How it came | Midair handball by LAFC's Ryan Porteous |
It was goalless through 86 minutes. The match turned not on open play but on a ball striking an arm in the air.
LAFC defender Ryan Porteous handled while contesting an aerial ball, and San Diego's Anders Dreyer converted from the spot. That single goal ended LAFC's unbeaten run and handed away the first place in the Western Conference that a win would have given them.
2. Son's ninety minutes
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Minutes | 90, full match |
| Shots | 4 — most of any player |
| Goal contributions | 0 |
| Scoring streak | Ends at four matches |
The player who shot most was Son. Two of those were clear chances. The finish did not come.
The four-match MLS scoring run he had carried since the 2026 World Cup ends here — the same number this page reported on August 2 in "Son scores in a fourth straight match," this time as an ending rather than a run.
3. The season so far
| Competition | Goals |
|---|---|
| MLS regular season | 4 |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup | 2 |
| Official total | 6 |
All-Star Game MVP in early August, four straight scoring matches, then the Leagues Cup exit and this defeat. Individual form and team results are moving in different directions right now.
4. What LAFC lost in one match
Two things went at once.
The unbeaten run. The league run standing before August 16 is over.
First in the West. A win would have put LAFC on top; instead San Diego FC held the position. LAFC also remain without a win against their nearest rivals.
How MLS separates teams level on points was covered here on August 2 in "MLS tiebreaker rules."
5. What remains unverified
No post-match comments confirmed. Whether Son spoke publicly after the match could not be established here.
The refereeing detail is missing. Whether video review was involved in the handball decision, and what explanation was given, is not established from published material.
The table gap is unconfirmed. The exact points difference between LAFC and San Diego FC after the match could not be verified here.
On the "five-match streak" phrasing. Some outlets framed it that way. What is confirmed is that the run stood at four matches and ended on August 16.
Earlier coverage: "Son Heung-min and LAFC out of the Leagues Cup" and "Son Heung-min, All-Star Game MVP."
Sources
- SBS News — Son Heung-min's 4-Match MLS Scoring Streak Ends as LAFC Falls 1-0 to San Diego
- beIN SPORTS — Los Angeles FC 0-1 San Diego FC: Late Dreyer penalty denies hosts top spot in West
- Angels on Parade — LAFC 0, San Diego FC 1: Late penalty snaps unbeaten run
- Korea JoongAng Daily — Son Heung-min's MLS scoring streak ends as LAFC lose to San Diego FC
- The Sporting Tribune — Dreyer's late penalty sinks LAFC in shutout loss