(LEAD) Son Heung-min draws penalty for LAFC in MLS debut

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- Son Heung-min marked his Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) debut with a strong performance as a second-half substitute in an away match, drawing a key penalty that led to his team's equalizer.

Son came off the bench in the 61st minute to replace David Martinez for his first Major League Soccer (MLS) match against Chicago Fire FC at SeatGeek Stadium Bridgeview, Illinois, on Saturday (local time), as LAFC fought back for a 2-2 draw.

Some 10 minutes after firing a weak left-footed shot from outside the box in the 67th minute, Son made his presence felt, with LAFC trailing 2-1.

He was sent on a counterbreak after Brian Gutierrez hit the left goal post at the other end, and was brought down by a hard challenge from Carlos Teran.

Referee Ricardo Montero let the play continue first, but after a call down from the video assistant referee, Montero reviewed the play and awarded LAFC a penalty.

Denis Bouanga converted the ensuing spot kick to level the score.

Son had a right-footed shot blocked by Chicago's Jonathan Dean during stoppage time as the teams ended in a stalemate.

Son said afterward he was "a bit disappointed" with not coming away with a victory but he felt everyone "put in a lot of effort."

"Happy I made my debut and I hope the goals come soon," he said. "It was a decent 30 minutes in my legs, so getting ready for next week. We'll see how I progress with the training sessions and with the players and we'll see if next week I can start the game and make a big impact."

LAFC will next play New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (local time), or 8:30 a.m. Sunday in South Korea.

Son was unveiled as the newest member of LAFC on Wednesday, after ending his 10-year tenure with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

The 33-year-old was greeted by South Korean fans waving their national flags and also several Tottenham fans in Son's old Spurs shirt.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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