By Noh Chan-hyuk / MyDaily — Son Heung-min is emerging as the player to watch to lead LAFC.
On April 30 (Korean time), LAFC will host Toluca at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles in the first leg of the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals.
LAFC is chasing the club’s first Champions Cup title. The team reached the finals in 2020 and 2023 but came up short on both occasions.
This season LAFC sits third in the MLS Western Conference and has carried that form into the Champions Cup. They dispatched Real España 7–1 on aggregate in the opening round, then knocked out Alajuelense and Cruz Azul in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals.
Son has been a standout in the tournament, tallying 2 goals and 5 assists this season. His first goal of the season — and his first from open play — came in this competition.
However, teammate Denis Bouanga will miss the first leg due to yellow-card accumulation. MLS confirmed LAFC will be without the superstar, which could create a gap in the attack. Head coach Mark Dos Santos, though, said he believes other players can step up to cover for Bouanga’s absence.
MLS singled out Son as a key figure, noting his 2 goals and 5 assists in the tournament and that he leads MLS with six assists. The league also noted he was rested in last weekend’s match to prepare for the semifinals.
David Martinez added, "We know Bouanga is a game-changing presence in the attack, but we have players who can do the job. We have good players, and we’ll give our best."
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