LAFC defeated Real España of Honduras to secure a berth in the round of 16 at the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup, with Son Heung-min playing 45 minutes.
LAFC won 1-0 against Real España in the second leg of the first round at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday local time.
Following their 6-1 victory in the first leg on March 18, LAFC clinched advancement to the round of 16 with an aggregate score of 7-1.
LAFC will face Alajuelense of Costa Rica in the round of 16 for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Son, who recorded one goal and three assists in the first leg, took the field wearing the captain's armband. He assumed the captaincy after regular captain Hugo Lloris was unavailable for the match.
LAFC deployed a 3-4-3 formation with Son as the lone striker, flanked by Denis Bouanga and Tyler Boyd on the wings.
Son threatened the opposition defense early in the first half, repeatedly attacking down the flanks.
However, he was unable to register any goal contributions.
At the start of the second half, LAFC substituted key attackers Son and Bouanga, bringing on Timothy Tillman and Nathan Ordaz to manage their workload ahead of the weekend league match.
The deadlock was broken in the 64th minute. Tillman's right-footed shot was saved by Real España goalkeeper Luis López, but the ball rolled in front of goal where center-back Nkosy Tafari quickly struck it into the net with his left foot from the left side of the box.
LAFC conceded a penalty kick late in the second half but secured a clean sheet victory thanks to a save by goalkeeper Thomas Hasal.