LAFC's Son Heung-Min: MLS All-Star Game a "fantastic experience" | OneFootball

By Charles Boehm

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Who is an All-Star’s favorite All-Star?

The league’s elite players have fielded a broad range of questions from the throngs of media assembled at Atrium Health Performance Park this week, as they prepare for Wednesday night’s MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime vs. their counterparts from LIGA MX (8 pm ET | Apple TV). 

Yet one query was posed more than any other: Which adversary turned teammate are you most excited to train and play with? And one answer rang out again and again: Son Heung-Min.

“Him and Thomas Müller would be my first two picks,” Evander, FC Cincinnati's maestro and a three-time All-Star, raved on Tuesday morning. 

“I mean, I don't even have words to describe how much Son is a humble guy, and how amazing he is, and how great he received all of us. It's an amazing experience to have him here with us.”

Son shine

Just as he is with fans all over the globe, the LAFC ace is remarkably popular among his peers, who admire both his glittering career across Europe with Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspur and the manner in which he’s taken MLS by storm since arriving in Los Angeles on a record-setting transfer last August.

“There have been great moments, a great year,” Sonny, who leads MLS with 10 assists and has scored in three straight matches after opening his league account in his club’s 3-0 El Tráfico win over the LA Galaxy in mid-July, told MLSsoccer.com.

“Joining MLS almost a year ago, it’s been a fantastic experience. Obviously, there have been some tough moments as well, but most of them have been really good moments. So I’m enjoying every single moment and making this league as big as possible – try to enjoy it, and try to perform.”

Then there’s that famously, well, sunny personality. Even as he processes the entirely new – and deeply, uniquely North American – setting of an All-Star gathering far from home, the South Korean icon has been quick to flash his 100-watt smile.

His contributions to the positive vibes around the group are evident, from chatting with his former Bundesliga rival Müller in German – “he’s a great guy,” said Son – to joking with the All-Stars’ Brazilian contingent at Monday’s training about some of the warm-up activities led by their compatriot Ricardo Oliveira, Charlotte FC’s fitness coach.

“It's a good excitement, being called up for the All-Star. I think everybody wants to participate in these events,” Son told reporters. “It's a great experience to be here with great players, great names, and I'm looking forward to it.”

Bouanga bromance

Sonny does have one gripe, however: The absence of his LAFC strike partner and fast friend Denis Bouanga, whose run of three consecutive All-Star nods ended this year despite his 10 goals and six assists in 17 league games to date.

It’s a “crazy” snub, in his opinion.

“He deserves to be here. Imagine the two of us playing here at All-Star, it would be a great experience for both of us,” said Son. “Denis is a fantastic player; I don’t need to say many words. I love him, I love him more than, I think, anything at the moment. He’s scoring goals for the team, helping the team. I think since day one we’ve had amazing chemistry, understanding each other very well.

“Unfortunately, I think this needs to be talked [about], that Denis is not here. It’s so undeserving.”

Son vs. Müller

If Sonny and his bromance buddy aim to fashion that slight into motivational fuel, they won’t have to wait long to ignite it.

LAFC visit Müller’s Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday in a tasty top-of-the-table clash which also represents a rematch of their epic Western Conference Semifinal duel at BC Place last autumn, an instant classic the ‘Caps won in a gripping penalty-kick shootout after a 2-2 deadlock over 120-plus minutes.

The Black & Gold have won four straight to surge up the standings, and could find themselves alone atop the West with a win in British Columbia (7:30 pm | Apple TV).

“Everything is possible,” said Son. “But there’s still a long way to go. We’re just working hard, and the first three games [after the league’s World Cup break] don’t count. Now, we’re going for the next one.”

Then he flashed that gregarious grin again before jogging off to train with his All-Star colleagues.

“We’re going to play next week against Thomas,” he wisecracked, “so I may just kick him in training.”