As August 2026 began, attention focused on the moves of LAFC and Son Heung-min grew even larger. This was because the away match against Vancouver followed immediately after his multi-goal performance and MVP award at the MLS All-Star Game, providing an opportunity to verify whether his individual momentum would translate into team performance.
To summarize the results first, Son Heung-min scored a goal in the match against Vancouver Whitecaps on August 2nd, but LAFC drew 1-1. Up until the Vancouver match. MLS League goals in 4 consecutive gamesAnd if you include the multi-goal at the All-Star Game on July 30, it counts as scoring in 5 consecutive official games.
Did Son Heung-min achieve his fifth consecutive goal in the match against Vancouver?
The two records need to be viewed based on different criteria. The goal against Vancouver completed a streak of four consecutive goals in league matches, and if you include the two goals scored in the All-Star game, the streak of consecutive goals in official matches becomes five games.
However, since the MLS All-Star Game is not a regular league match, it is not appropriate to simply add All-Star Game goals to the MLS league goals. Distinguishing between league records and records including the All-Star GameThis is the first criterion for interpreting this record.
The game against Vancouver marked his fourth consecutive league game with a goal, and including the All-Star game, it was his fifth consecutive official game with a goal.
Vancouver away game where they failed to hold onto the lead despite scoring the opening goal
Son Heung-min started in the 19th round of the MLS held at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada on August 2. In the 37th minute of the first half, he received a pass from Denis Bouanga and found the back of the net with a right-footed shot, giving LAFC a 1-0 lead.
LAFC finished the first half leading, but conceded a penalty equalizer to Thomas Müller in the second half. The match ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw, and Son Heung-min played the full match, scoring a goal and creating a near-goal opportunity in the 43rd minute of the second half.
The shot taken during a one-on-one opportunity against the goalkeeper late in the second half went over the crossbar. Although he showed his presence with the opening goal, considering this moment, it was a match that left a sense of disappointment as the team failed to secure three points.
The difference between the explosiveness of the All-Star Game and league games
Son Heung-min scored the equalizer in the 20th minute and the go-ahead goal in the 23rd minute of the first half at the MLS All-Star Game held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on July 30. The MLS All-Star team defeated the Liga MX All-Stars 4-3, and Son Heung-min was selected as MVP even after being substituted in the 35th minute of the first half.
The MLS office introduced this multi-goal performance as the fastest multi-goal performance in All-Star history. He became the first Korean player to be named MLS All-Star MVP, and his participation in the MLS All-Star Game was also highlighted as the second instance following Hong Myung-bo in 2003.
| division | MLS All-Star Game | Vancouver match |
|---|---|---|
| Game nature | All-Star event game | MLS Regular Season Round 19 |
| Son Heung-min scores | Multi-goal in the 20th and 23rd minutes of the first half | Opening goal in the 37th minute of the first half |
| Playing time | Substituted in the 35th minute of the first half | Full-time |
| Team Results | 4-3 victory | 1-1 draw |
In the All-Star game, he demonstrated decisiveness in a short amount of time, whereas in the game against Vancouver, he created opportunities in the attacking zone for an extended period. It is noteworthy that despite the same streak of consecutive goals, the nature of the matches and his playing time were different.
What is the reason for the rebound from a scoreless start to the season?
In the data describing the flow of the first half of 2026, it was noted that Son Heung-min recorded 9 assists without scoring in 13 league games. It was a start skewed toward link-up play and chance creation rather than scoring, but as the second half began, scenes of him finishing directly started to appear one after another.
The contrast between the early and mid-season periods has widened, compounded by the fact that the team failed to register any attacking points in the three World Cup group stage matches. However, rather than concluding that the World Cup was the direct cause of the turnaround, it is safer to view this as a result of the team's tactics and match fitness coming back to life.
LAFC scored 10 goals and conceded only 1 in 3 league matches since the World Cup break, and went on a four-game winning streak just before the match against Vancouver. Like this goal scored after receiving a pass from Bouanga. A scene where Son Heung-min's finish and Bouanga's build-up intertwinedThis increased aspect can also be seen as a key factor in the rise in attack power.
The remaining variables in LAFC's race for the Western title.
Just before the match against Vancouver, LAFC, Vancouver, and San Jose were tied with 33 points, but there was a difference in the number of games played. LAFC had played the most games among the three teams, with 18 matches, so it was difficult to determine the rankings based solely on points.
After the draw, both teams reached 34 points. Since Vancouver maintained first place in the Western Conference due to a superior goal difference and LAFC remained in second place, it is more accurate to view this match as a crucial turning point in the race for the top spot rather than calling it a "match to decide first place.".
The schedule of traveling from Charlotte to Vancouver immediately after the All-Star game was also a factor that could be burdensome for LAFC. Although Son Heung-min was substituted after just 35 minutes of the first half in the All-Star game, he played the full match against Vancouver and took on more time to secure an away victory.
The head-to-head matchup with the opposing team's Müller is also an interesting point. Although they played on the same team and combined for a victory in the All-Star game, in the match against Vancouver, Müller scored the equalizer from a penalty kick, resulting in a scene where they each scored a goal.
Schedule and criteria to check after 5 consecutive goals
Following the match against Vancouver, LAFC was introduced as being scheduled to play League Cup matches against Chivas on August 6 and Toluca on August 9. As of August 12, the data available in this article does not include the results of those matches, so I will not conclude that Son Heung-min's consecutive goals continued thereafter.
Going forward, we need to look not only at Son Heung-min's individual goalscoring but also at his link-up play with Bouanga, whether he plays the full 90 minutes, and LAFC's goal difference and number of matches played. While his individual statistics clearly show an upward trend, like the result against Vancouver... A player's goals and a team's victory are separate metrics.This is because of this.
To summarize, the All-Star game was highly symbolic for the multi-goal performance and MVP award, while the match against Vancouver was significant for extending his streak of scoring in four consecutive league games. When evaluating Son Heung-min's performance at LA, it is necessary to examine how those goals translate into points for LAFC and the title race, rather than looking solely at the number of five consecutive goals.