Los Angeles FC's Son Heung-Min warms up before a match, Thursday (local time). Reuters-Yonhap
Son Heung-min and his Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) have been eliminated in the semifinals of their top regional tournament after absorbing a crushing loss in Mexico.
LAFC fell to the Mexican club Deportivo Toluca FC 4-0 in the second leg of the semifinals at the Concacaf Champions Cup at Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca, Mexico, on Wednesday (local time). LAFC won the opening leg in Los Angeles 2-1, with Son assisting both goals, but ended up losing 5-2 on aggregate.
Toluca scored all four goals in their dominant second half after striking the woodwork twice in the opening 45 minutes.
Helinho converted a penalty in the 49th minute after being fouled by Ryan Hollingshead. The aggregate score was now even at 2-2, and Toluca would have had the edge in that case thanks to the away goals rule.
Everado Lopez doubled the home side's lead with a rocket of a shot from outside the box in the 58th minute. Jesus Ricardo Angulo hit the right goal post in an open chance in the 79th minute. That gave LAFC a glimmer of hope because a goal by the visitors would even up the aggregate score at 3-3 and send the match to extra time.
However, it was all but dashed when defender Ryan Porteous was sent off in the 86th minute with a foul on Nicolas Castro.
Paulinho Dias finished off 10-man LAFC by scoring two goals two minutes apart during stoppage time.
LAFC, runners-up in 2020 and 2023, were in pursuit of their first Concacaf title. They managed only five shot attempts and had one on target — none by Son — while Toluca peppered LAFC with 31 shot attempts and 14 shots on goal.
Source: Korea Times News
