LOS ANGELES — Welcome to your new, but familiar, home, Son Heung-Min.
Despite a tense 2-1 loss to San Diego FC in his first-ever match at LAFC’s BMO Stadium over the weekend, Sunday night’s result felt secondary to the raucous festivities for Los Angeles’ latest South Korean star, someone who represents much more than just a player on the pitch. Home to the largest Korean population outside of Korea, L.A. welcomed the iconic Asian forward as an extension of his own roots brimming with countless Son jerseys, banners that ranged in messages from “You are my SONshine” and “Welcome to Sonny LA,” plus Korean flags that gave the Southern California venue a concert-like atmosphere.
“I’ve been to amazing stadiums and I experienced a lot, but I mean, today was very special,” said Son post-game. “I feel like the fans [were] amazing. That’s why I’m upset, because they deserve [more].”
“I can’t wait to play again at home, and it felt like really, really, home. You know, they were welcoming me.”
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Every time the 33-year-old touched the ball, the crowd roared at ear-piercing levels. Signed in early August, but yet to play in L.A. until Sunday, there was a pulsing buzz about Son in the venue, which added a standing-room only section that quickly sold out.
“It’s a hometown hero,” said Sam Ko, a member of LAFC’s Tigers Supporters Group started by the region’s Korean-American population, to ESPN ahead of the game. “He’s the face of soccer in our country and in a lot of Asia … he’s our superstar.”
“It’s a dream come true,” said fellow TSG member Daniel Chung earlier in the week. “It’s incredible. I never thought this would happen.”
Even with no scoreline contributions to show on Sunday, Son nearly found the back of the net, and his early trajectory remains promising while still having a goal and an assist in his first four games. Off the field, Son’s impact has also been felt as the “highest-selling sports jersey of any sport in the world right now,” with the price of LAFC tickets on the secondary market increasing 187%.
For others, especially in the nearby Koreatown and overall Korean-American community of L.A., that impact and love for “Sonny” is even more profound, regardless of what happened on the field on Sunday.
‘Representing Koreatown’
Before LAFC arrived as an MLS expansion club in 2018, Su Jin Lee and her friends came up with an idea. “This new club, it’s part of MLS,” reminisced Lee about conversations among friends about a supporter group for Koreatown and Koreans for LAFC. “Let’s bring our passion into this too.”
Founded in 2017, the Tigers Supporters Group (TSG, for short) was born. Initially just a handful of friends that proudly celebrated their heritage and the diverse Koreatown neighborhood in the heart of L.A., their current and increasing number of 164 members reflects not only their growing support, but also the backing of the city’s diversity.
“It started as Koreans, but if you look at the different cultures in Koreatown, which is a lot of Mexican culture, a lot of Salvadorian, we wanted to just pretty much be inclusive to that and show that we’re representing Koreatown,” said Lee.
Members of the L.A. community soon reciprocated that love to a moment that has come full circle with Son’s 2025 arrival.
While Tottenham were training in the area in the summer of 2018, Mexican fans from the 3252 — the overarching LAFC supporters group union — used some help from the MLS club to pull some strings and surprise TSG. Celebrating the knockout round invitation that Mexico had gained in the 2018 World Cup thanks to the Taegeuk Warriors that defeated Germany in the group stage, Son was brought out as an unexpected guest.
“When we looked up, around the corner, was some of our 3252 members from the Mexican community, escorting Son to meet us…everyone just kind of freaked out,” said Ko, who noted that “seeds were planted” for the player’s eventual signing down the line.
“Even then, we were thinking okay, maybe one day, but even as someone who was there that day, I still thought it would be in like three years from now.”
Arriving earlier than expected in August — for a MLS-record transfer fee, an eye-catching $26.5 million — TSG and Koreatown have now welcomed back their hero that has officially made L.A. his new home. With Son in town, interest in soccer and LAFC is beginning to spike.
“We’re seeing a lot more jerseys,” said TSG member John Lee. “My buddy owns a bar here in Koreatown called Biergarten, and he says they’re getting nonstop calls from just about everyone, older Koreans, younger, just asking if they’re gonna be playing the LAFC match.”
At Biergarten on the eve of the game, bar owner and LAFC fan David Dong reflected on the addition of Son and what it means for him personally and for his business.
“I would say most of our fanbase, because they’re a part of the 3252 … the only time we’ll really see them is during away games, but now we’re seeing a lot of home game fans, which is really nice, because it’s gaining traction and see a lot more eyes on it,” said Dong.
“It’s huge: he’s our best athlete, like, the best Korean athlete I’ve ever seen.”
Down the street at Brothers Korean BBQ, owner Bu Gweon Ju commissioned a mural of the forward in between a South Korean and U.S. flag on the outside of his business. Despite Son’s representation asking Ju to take down his likeness without his approval, Ju didn’t seem to mind too much — and simply added his own face over Son’s body on the mural.
“I’m a big soccer fan, big Son fan” said the beaming owner, who just so happened to be wandering proudly around his restaurant on Saturday in an LAFC kit. “I love watching him,” he added with a big smile on his face.
Supporting ‘Sonny’ wholeheartedly
Like any other high-profile MLS addition, there’s inevitably going to be off-days for Son. Across the league when looking at a demi-god of the sport like Lionel Messi, even the greatest of all time has had the occasional questionable performance in MLS. Messi himself suffered a bigger defeat earlier in the day through a 3-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders in the Leagues Cup final.
It wasn’t as if Son played poorly on Sunday, either. There were a number of moments in which he shined with his clever decision-making in the final third; he had a dangerous shot in the 45th minute that forced a highlight-worthy save from San Diego goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos, as well a dramatic opportunity in the 78th minute that bounced off the woodwork. In injury time, he added two more shots to his overall tally.
“Two decent chances tonight — maybe three — keeper with a good save, he hit the post, and keeper made another save on the third,” said LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo about Son’s performance. “We’re doing things right and he’s moving in the right areas … I’m excited about the future and the rest of the season with him and his future.”
That said, what was perhaps most impressive was what the TV cameras weren’t catching. Son acted as a conductor in LAFC’s build-up play, constantly dishing out instructions and directions to a roster that is still adjusting to the positioning and expectations of the club’s new attacking leader. For what it’s worth, there was a sense that LAFC were unlucky after finishing with a higher xG (1.48), in comparison to a more efficient San Diego (0.93).
“I thought we played well in creating the chances,” Son said post-game. “Obviously the result was not our night, but I’m still very proud of the team and [they] made a huge effort, so it was very unlucky today to not get the three points.”
In fact, the result may say more about how brilliant and efficient San Diego have been as the current Western Conference leaders, instead of how worrisome fans should feel about LAFC. Still, after the final whistle, there was Son, pensive for several minutes by himself in the center circle. Taking in the moment, the forward then slowly walked off the field while applauding the crowd that supported him for 90+ minutes.
“[As] a professional you can’t always win the game,” Son noted post-game. “We accept that, we respect that about the results, and we move forward.”
Considering the MLS record investment that LAFC made in the player, and the flop that a previous major addition like Olivier Giroud was to the club, there will be an immense amount of pressure for the three-time Tottenham player of the season to recreate the same magic seen in the European club game. One thing is for sure, though. In TSG, Koreatown, the Korean community in L.A. and beyond, they’ll have “Sonny’s” back.
“Obviously the buzz is crazy,” said John Lee about Son’s arrival. “Koreatown being the melting pot that it is … it’s exciting for everyone, not just Koreans.”
Chung agreed. “It’s something that I think the entirety of Koreatown can be proud of … he is here representing us and there’s so many eyes on us now, and now people are starting to get a little more into what we’re all about in TSG,” said Chung. “When Koreans are interested in something, they’re all in,” he added.
“They support their players wholeheartedly.”
