Los Angeles FC defeated Orlando City 6-0 in a match where Son Heung-min was the hero of the night despite not scoring a single goal. And it took him just the first 45 minutes to make history and tie a record previously held only by Lionel Messi.
The LAFC star recorded four assists in the first 45 minutes of play, becoming the second player in MLS history to register four or more assists in a single half, alongside the Inter Miami captain.
Son ties Messi's record
BMO Stadium was the stage where Son shone. LAFC was already leading 1-0 thanks to an own goal by David Brekalo in the 7th minute, when the former Tottenham Hotspur captain and Denis Bouanga put on a real show.
Son had not directly contributed to any goals in the previous two league matches, but against Orlando, he made up for it.
In the 20th minute of the match, Son sent a magnificent through ball to Bouanga, who converted it into the second goal of the game. Three minutes later, the duo struck again thanks to a well-executed counterattack.
Five minutes later, Bouanga completed his hat-trick, and Son scored in the 28th minute, tying Alejandro Moreno’s 2004 record for the third-fastest hat-trick in MLS history.
In the 39th minute, LAFC made it 5-0 thanks to a pass from Bouanga to Son, who set up Sergi Palencia to score the final goal before halftime. Tyler Boyd added the sixth, but Son was no longer on the field.
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And although Son has yet to score his first goal of the 2026 season, this brilliant performance places him alongside Lionel Messi as one of only two players to record four or more assists in a single half.
The Argentine recorded five assists in the second half of Inter Miami’s 6-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls on May 5, 2024. In addition, he set the record for the most goal contributions in a single match, as he also scored a goal.
In this way, his influence as one of the MLS's top playmakers has kept the Black and Gold at the top of the Western Conference and established them as a formidable opponent to beat this year, even though several critics have taken aim at him for not scoring as frequently as he did in London.
However, his coach, Marc Dos Santos, came out in support of him after the match: “Sonny has been incredible. He doesn't have to score in every game. He has to help the team, and that's what he's doing,” he said (via GOAL).
"He was involved in all five of our first-half goals. What more could we ask for? If people think he's going to score five goals in every game, they're delusional,” he added.
Meanwhile, following this lopsided victory, LAFC is preparing to host Cruz Azul at BMO Stadium for the first leg of the Champions Cup quarterfinals. On April 11, they will face the Portland Timbers at Providence Park in the MLS Regular Season.
