San Diego Beat LAFC 1-0 as Son Heung-min Goes Goalless, Ends Five-Game Streak

Son Heung-min started for Los Angeles FC at BMO Stadium on Saturday, August 16, 2026, but finished goalless despite a team-high four shots as San Diego FC won 1-0 on a late penalty kick. The result ended the South Korea captain’s five-game MLS scoring streak and snapped LAFC’s momentum after the club had piled up 11 goals across its previous four league matches.

Anders Dreyer converted from the spot in the 89th minute after video review spotted a handball by LAFC defender Ryan Porteous during a San Diego corner. Goalkeeper CJ dos Santos made three saves for a shutout — his first clean sheet in six starts this season — while Hugo Lloris turned away one shot for the hosts.

Editor’s note: This article draws on match reports from The Associated Press (via CBS Los Angeles), Sportalkorea, and Transfermarkt, August 15–16, 2026. Kickoff was Saturday night in Los Angeles (August 16 in Korea).

Match at a glance

Detail	Information
Competition	MLS Western Conference — regular season
Date	Saturday, August 16, 2026
Venue	BMO Stadium, Los Angeles
Final score	LAFC 0–1 San Diego FC
Decisive moment	Anders Dreyer penalty, 89’ (VAR handball on Ryan Porteous)

Goal timeline

Minute	Team	Scorer	Notes
89’	San Diego FC	Anders Dreyer	Penalty after VAR review for handball

How the game unfolded

First half: Son active, no breakthrough

Son Heung-min was involved from the opening minutes. In the 5th minute, he received the ball near the penalty arc, drove through San Diego’s back line, and fired a shot that went wide — one of several moments that showed his movement but not the finishing touch LAFC needed.

San Diego absorbed pressure for long stretches while dos Santos held firm. LAFC controlled territory but could not convert its chances before the interval.

Second half: LAFC push, late penalty decides it

The hosts continued to press after the break, hunting a goal that would extend their strong recent run in front of goal. San Diego’s defence bent without breaking until a corner sequence in the 82nd minute changed the match.

During the set piece, the ball struck Porteous’s arm. After a video review, the referee awarded a penalty. Dreyer stepped up and beat Lloris calmly for his eighth goal of the season and 27th in 53 career MLS appearances.

LAFC had little time to respond. Dreyer was sent off with a red card in the seventh minute of stoppage time, but San Diego had already secured all three points.

Son Heung-min’s quiet afternoon

Son finished as LAFC’s most active attacker on paper — four shots, the most on either team — yet none found the net. That blank ended a five-game league scoring streak that had helped fuel LAFC’s recent surge.

Stat	Detail
Shots	4 (team high)
Goals	0
Scoring streak	Ended at 5 MLS games
Role	Started as LAFC’s main attacking outlet

For a player who joined LAFC in August 2025 and quickly became the club’s headline signing, Saturday’s result underscored how much LAFC’s attack still runs through his finishing — even on days when he creates danger without converting.

Standings and context

Team	Record after match	Conference position (approx.)
LAFC	10-6-4	Second in Western Conference
San Diego FC	6-7-6	Mid-table West

The clubs had already met twice earlier in the campaign. San Diego won 3-2 at home in March and drew 2-2 in May after LAFC rallied from two goals down. Saturday’s win gave the expansion side a 2-0-1 edge in the 2026 series and a valuable road result at a stadium where LAFC had been difficult to beat.

Dreyer’s penalty was his second decisive spot-kick in recent weeks — he also scored from 12 yards in a 1-1 draw at Minnesota United — but the late red card means he will miss San Diego’s next match.

Goalkeepers and defensive lines

Dos Santos, who posted 10 shutouts in 30 starts last season, had struggled for clean sheets in six 2026 starts before this performance. His three saves — including key stops during LAFC’s second-half push — gave San Diego a platform to steal the win.

Lloris, meanwhile, could do little once the penalty was awarded. LAFC’s back line had largely contained San Diego’s open-play threat, but the handball decision left the France international with no chance on Dreyer’s kick.

What’s next

Club	Next fixture
San Diego FC	At Portland Timbers — Wednesday
LAFC	At Colorado Rapids — Wednesday

Both sides return to MLS action midweek before the Western Conference race resumes. LAFC will look to bounce back on the road; San Diego must cope without Dreyer while trying to build on a result that lifted them to 6-7-6.

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Discussion

A single VAR penalty separated two Western Conference rivals — but Son Heung-min’s blank sheet of a different kind may linger longer for LAFC supporters.

1. Did VAR get the Porteous handball call right?

Corner-kick arm positions are among MLS’s most debated reviews. Was this a clear and obvious handball, or a harsh end to a match LAFC had largely controlled?

2. Son Heung-min had four shots and ended a five-game scoring run. How much should LAFC worry when he creates chances but does not score?

The streak is over, but the volume was there — the question is whether teammates can step up when their star forward has an off night in front of goal.

Share your read on the penalty decision and whether LAFC can keep pace in the West without Son finding the net every week.