Son Heung-min is set to start for LAFC against Querétaro FC on the 13th at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA, with kickoff at 11:30 Korea time in the third group-stage game of the 2026 Leagues Cup. He will lead the line as a center forward, flanked by Denis Bouanga and Jacob Shaffelburg, as LAFC tries to keep its group-stage momentum intact.
That is the reason the match matters now. LAFC comes in with one win and one draw for five points from its first two group-stage matches, while Querétaro has lost both of its games, scored zero goals and conceded five. For Son, it is also a chance to end a two-match scoreless run in the competition after a strong stretch in MLS, where he scored in four straight matches after the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America, including goals against Real Salt Lake, Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver Whitecaps.
Son’s recent scoring record is why the contrast has drawn attention. He also scored multiple goals in the MLS All-Star Game, and highlighted the streak while placing LAFC second in its power rankings. The MLS official website said he had activated his scoring power in every match after the World Cup and was in his best form, a sharp contrast to his Leagues Cup outings against Chivas Guadalajara and Toluca, where he did not score.
The Toluca match exposed the other side of the story. On August 9, Son started at center forward, did not record a shot and was substituted in the 23rd minute of the second half after having started six consecutive matches since returning to LAFC from the World Cup. Marc Dos Santos said after that win that the physical load and team fatigue were very concerning, adding that if seven substitutions had been available, all seven would have been used and that it was difficult to guarantee who would be in the best condition for the next match.
LAFC’s lineup against Querétaro also reflects how compressed the schedule is becoming. Eddie Segura, Eloy Tapia, Ryan Porteous and Ryan Laposa are listed in a back four, with Hugo Lloris set to start in goal and Mark Delgado, Mathieu Choinière and Jude Terry in midfield. After Querétaro, LAFC faces four matches in a little over ten days, including three straight MLS regular-season games on the 16th, 20th and 23rd, so Son’s workload will be measured as carefully as his minutes. The immediate question is not whether LAFC believe in his form. It is whether he can turn that form back into a goal before the next stretch starts to bite.
