Son Heung-Min broke the Major League Soccer transfer fee record when LAFC signed him from Tottenham Hotspur for $26 million last week. The South Korean made his MLS debut in Chicago last night, coming off the bench in the 61′. And it was just 20 minutes until he made his instant impact felt on the pitch. Son won a penalty, which was a tad controversial, as it required video review.
However, it was confirmed by the official in the 80th minute, and LAFC attacker Denis Bouanga beat Chicago Fire FC goalkeeper Chris Brady, registering the equalizer that rescued a point for the visitors.
The Fire and LAFC finished up 2-2. After the match, the Fire Head Coach and Director of Football Gregg Berhalter gave his reaction to the penalty, and his take on Son’s impact/quality/legacy. Berhalter hailed Son Heung-Min, deeming him potentially the greatest Asian player that the sport has ever seen.
“The play with the penalty was some disorganization by us while we were attacking,” Berhalter said.
“We need to be positioned better to avoid the counterattack, because when good players get counterattacks, you know they can make the plays.
“But overall, I think he had one other shot, and I think we did fine against him. He’s going to be a great player in this league. It’s nice that the league gets players like that, he’s probably the best Asian player in the history of soccer, so it’s exciting for the entire league.
“But our guys weren’t intimidated and I think they did a fine job.”
The former United States Men’s National Team coach might indeed be right. It is hard to think of an Asian born player with more accolades and accomplishments than the long-time former Tottenham Hotspur forward.
Brady discussed the challenge of going up against Son, and a high quality LAFC side.
“I think my biggest thing was how can our backline handle their offensive weapons, and having Son obviously threw a wrench in the mix, but we were prepared and I think we dealt with it well. It was just unfortunate on the other end, we had chances but that’s just the way life goes.”
The arrival of Son didn’t do anything to help attendance for the Fire however. The official paid attendance was 19,831 which is actually below average for them.
But the spectators who did make it to Soldier Field were spirited and enthused, to say the least.
“I love the atmosphere tonight,” Brady said. “I think everybody showed up. I love being able to feel the noise, feel the support from our 12th man.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter