Son Heung-Min Hasn't Scored for LAFC All Season and Nobody in the World Cup Is Ready For It

Alright, so South Korea just bagged a massive 2-1 win over Czechia, and you already know what you're thinking, right? "Son Heung-Min lit them up, obviously!" WRONG. Get this: the game-winning goal, the one that secured all three points, came from Oh Hyeon-Gyu, the Besiktas winger who actually *replaced* Son on the pitch! My dude Hwang In-Beom dropped a dime, and Oh put it away. It's wild, because everyone expects the captain, the absolute legend, Son, to be the one smashing them in, but he's having a rough go in front of goal. This is not the Son Heung-Min we know, and frankly, it's got me on edge for the Taegeuk Warriors.

Son Heung-Min's Goal Drought Is Real

Look, we all know what Son brings to the table. He's one of the greatest Asian goal scorers ever, a true Tottenham icon, now with LAFC. But the man, at 33 years old, just hasn't been able to find the back of the net when it counts for his national team. Get this stat: he hasn't scored in a World Cup since way back in 2018. Even more concerning, he hasn't scored a single goal for Los Angeles FC in MLS play *this entire season*. Yeah, he's still dishing out dimes, with eight assists, so he's not a liability or anything, but for a guy who used to flat outrun his expected goals because he's such an incredible two-footed finisher, seeing him miss like he did against Czechia is a HUGE red flag. He took six shots in that match, putting only one on target. And here's the kicker: when Son actually left the field, the team seemed to find a new gear. They looked more cohesive, stopped forcing the ball to their talisman, and just played some excellent out-pass soccer against the Czech big lads. That tells you everything.

Manager Hong Myung-Bo Made the Big Call

An expanded 48-team World Cup means this 2-1 victory, snagging three points and a decent goal difference, is a great result on paper. It could absolutely be enough to see South Korea roll through to the round of 32. But this team, our Taegeuk Warriors, they have bigger dreams than that. They've been in every World Cup since 1986, even making it to the round of 16 in Qatar in 2022. Son, as their captain, deserves a serious run before he eventually hangs up his international boots. The highs of their attack weren't as sky-high, but they completely shut down Czechia in the second half. That training camp in Utah at altitude definitely helped with their fitness, for sure. Manager Hong Myung-Bo making the call to take Son off before the 70th minute shows he's willing to do whatever it takes to win, and that's a brilliant start. Plus, they've got other studs like Hwang Hee-Chan and Lee Kang-In who can absolutely put the ball in the net. The time for Son to carry the team on his back might be in the past. So, what's next? A tough match against tournament co-hosts Mexico. South Korea needs to figure out this new balance, and they need to do it on the fly. If this is truly the year the Taegeuk Warriors are going to surprise everyone and go on a deep run as dark horses, they've got to keep showing that grit and smart play, even when their biggest name isn't the one scoring. Let's see if they can keep that momentum rolling and make a statement against Mexico. It's gonna be a wild ride!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.