Son Heung-min Leads LA FC to Thrilling 2-1 Comeback Victory in CONCACAF Champions Cup

Son Heung-min / Photo: Getty Images

[SportsToday reporter Lee Sang-pil] Son Heung-min played the full 90 minutes as LAFC rallied to beat Alajuelense and advance to the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals.

LAFC won 2-1 against Alajuelense on March 18 (Korean time) in the second leg of the round of 16 at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

The first leg in Los Angeles on March 11 ended in a 1-1 draw. The victory in the second leg gave LAFC a 3-2 aggregate win and a spot in the quarterfinals.

LAFC’s talisman Son started and completed the match, contributing to his team’s progress even though he did not record a goal or an assist. He has one goal and six assists in all competitions this season.

LAFC deployed Nathan Ordaz up top with Son, Deni Bouanga and Timothy Tillman supporting from the second line as they looked to break down Alajuelense’s defense.

But Alajuelense struck first. Santiago van der Putten opened the scoring just four minutes in to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

LAFC pressed for an equalizer but struggled to find space against a compact Alajuelense back line. Son faced heavy marking and had difficulty influencing the game. Six minutes into the second half, a hard tackle from Aarón Salazar led to a collision between the two and both were booked.

A minute later, in the 52nd minute, Ordaz finished Marco Delgado’s pass to level the score at 1-1.

The match turned into an end-to-end battle. LAFC pushed forward more frequently, but Alajuelense remained dangerous on the counter. As the second half reached its 45th minute, it looked like the game might head to extra time.

It did not. Two minutes into stoppage time, David Martínez collected a Delgado pass and fired a surprise long-range shot that put LAFC ahead for a dramatic 2-1 comeback win, sending them into the quarterfinals.

[SportsToday reporter Lee Sang-pil sports@stoo.com]
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