Son Heung-min’s goal drought continues as he comes off bench in 1-0 loss to Colorado

Son Heung-min's fight to end his scoring drought for Los Angeles FC (LAFC) was made that bit harder on Wednesday as he had to contend with fewer minutes after coming off the bench in his side's 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids.

The Korean forward came on for Timothy Tillman in the 63rd minute of the MLS regular-season match at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. LAFC were already trailing, and although Son was able to get a shot on frame, the scoreline held to the final whistle.

It was LAFC’s second straight shutout defeat following its loss to San Diego FC on Sunday. The club remained third in the Western Conference with 34 points, three behind the second-place Vancouver Whitecaps and four behind leaders Houston Dynamo. Colorado, by contrast, extended its winning streak to three league matches and climbed to seventh place with 28 points.

Son had started LAFC's previous 13 consecutive matches, dating back to a 2-2 draw against San Diego on May 3 — his last appearance off the bench before Wednesday. 

LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos rotated much of his lineup, leaving out other key players including Denis Bouanga and Hugo Lloris — a move in line with his earlier comments about managing Son's workload through the club's congested summer schedule.

The Korean talisman's scoreless run has now stretched to five matches, spanning three Leagues Cup appearances and two MLS regular-season games.

BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]