Son Heung-min, LAFC win opening match in MLS Cup Playoffs
Son Heung-min of Los Angeles Football Club gestures to fans after an own goal by Brendan Hines-Ike of Austin FC during the clubs' first-round match in the Major League Soccer Cup Playoffs at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap
Son Heung-min and his Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) are off to a winning start in their Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup Playoffs.
LAFC, seeded third in the Western Conference, edged out No. 6 seed Austin FC 2-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday (local time) in the opening match of the first round of the playoffs.
The second match of the best-of-three series will be at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.
If the two clubs split these two matches, LAFC will host Austin FC again at BMO Stadium in the deciding contest next weekend. In this series, matches that are tied after 90 minutes will go directly to the penalties to determine the winner, without playing a 30-minute extra session.
LAFC grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute on an own goal by Austin FC defender Brendan Hines-Ike. Austin FC then drew level with a goal into the opponent's net, with Jon Gallagher scoring off an Owen Wolff pass in the 63rd minute.
Nathan Orda then put LAFC ahead for good with his 79th-minute goal, following a play started by Son with his dash through the center of the field.
As he neared the box, Son passed the ball to his left to find Denis Bounaga, whose shot took a deflection off an Austin FC player and sailed over the diving goalkeeper Brad Stuver. Orda got a piece of the ball at the last minute to direct it into the open net.
Son finished with two shots on target and was credited with a team-high eight key passes, or passes that immediately lead to shots on goal.
Son had nine goals and three assists in 10 regular-season matches after joining LAFC in August.