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Son Heung-min is set to start as an attacking midfielder once again for LAFC — a tactical choice that left something to be desired under former coach Mark dos Santos and is now resurfacing under his replacement.

LAFC face the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 28th round of the 2026 MLS regular season at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Korean Standard Time. Son, who returned to his club after international duty, has been named to the starting lineup for his first match back.

LAFC will operate in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Denis Bouanga leads the attack up front, with Armindo Siby, Son and Jacob Shaffelburg forming the second line. Mathieu Choinière and Sergio Vásquez anchor the midfield, while Sergi Palencia, Ryan Porteous, Eddie Segura and Yevhen Cheberko make up the back four. Hugo Lloris starts in goal.

Vancouver will also line up in a 4-2-3-1. Brian White leads the attack, supported by Ali Ahmed, Emmanuel Sabbi and Jordon Diaby. Andrés Cubas and Sebastian Berhalter start in midfield, with Yohei Takaoka in goal.

The focal point is Son's position. Rather than playing as an out-and-out striker, he has been deployed as a central attacking midfielder. Bouanga is expected to press the opposition defense, with Son operating just behind him to orchestrate the attack.

Former coach Dos Santos also used Son in the attacking midfield role early in the season, aiming to maximize his passing ability and combination play. But Son's goal output dropped as a result. Pushed further from the opposition goal, he was asked to create chances rather than finish them.

In a match against St. Louis City in March, Son started as an attacking midfielder but was substituted in the 71st minute without scoring. He played a similar role against the Houston Dynamo in May, a game LAFC lost 1-4. Dos Santos acknowledged at the time that too few players were making runs into the penalty box during attacking moves.

LAFC sit sixth in the Western Conference this season with 11 wins, eight draws and nine losses — 41 points. The club managed just one win in their last 10 matches. That poor run ultimately cost Dos Santos his job after a 0-1 defeat to Dallas in the 27th round last month, with Xavi Tamarit named interim coach in his place.

"What we want is to grow as a team and present concepts that are very simple but clear from a tactical standpoint," Tamarit said. "The goal is to give each player on the pitch a clear role and have a definite vision and identity. We want to maintain the identity we have without changing it." Son now faces a test of whether he can make better use of his strengths in his first match under the new coach.

His recent form, however, has been encouraging. Son joined the South Korean national team last month under interim coach Moreno and scored three goals across four consecutive A-match fixtures in September and October against Ecuador, Uruguay, Venezuela and Uzbekistan. His goal against Uzbekistan lifted him past former coach Cha Bum-kun to 59 international goals, making him the all-time leading scorer among South Korean players. At club level, he also jointly leads the MLS assist charts this season with 13 assists.


why37@heraldcorp.com