SON HEUNG-MIN 'HERE TO WIN' AFTER JOINING LAFC FOR RECORD TRANSFER FEE

Son Heung-min holds an LAFC jersey during his introductory news conference with the club in Los Angeles on Wednesday. | IMAGN IMAGES / VIA REUTERS

LOS ANGELES – South Korean star Son Heung-min said he was "here to win" as Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC welcomed the arrival of the "global icon" from Tottenham on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old will reportedly cost an MLS-record $26 million transfer fee, according to ESPN and The Athletic, after a decade in the Premier League where he became a household name.

"I'm here to win, and I will perform," he said at an introductory news conference at BMO Stadium that was packed with U.S. and South Korean media, fans and luminaries, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

He was already itching to get to work with his new teammates after watching them beat Mexican club Tigres UANL 2-1 in a Leagues Cup match on Tuesday night amid rabid support from fans energized by rumors of his signing.

"It was just, like, insane," he said. "I just wanted to run onto the pitch and show my performance."

On Saturday in his homeland, an emotional Son announced that he would be leaving Spurs, just months after ending the club's 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League as captain.

He is fifth on Tottenham's all-time list with 173 goals in 454 appearances.

"Sonny is a global icon and one of the most dynamic and accomplished players in world football," said John Thorrington, LAFC's co-president and general manager.

"We are proud that he has chosen Los Angeles for the next chapter of his extraordinary career."

Son said it was Thorrington who sold him on LAFC.

"If I'm honest, it was not my first choice," he said. "But first call, when I talked to John after the season finished, he just changed my mind. He changed my heart. He changed my brain. He showed me the destination where I should be."

In addition to Son's prowess on the pitch, LAFC can also expect him to be a massive draw among Los Angeles' large community of South Koreans and Korean-Americans.

His imminent arrival drew crowds to Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday with fans waving South Korean flags and messages of support.

"He means a lot to me, just what he's been able to achieve," said Justin Huh, a 26-year-old Korean-American software developer who lives in LA's bustling Koreatown.

"Now that someone who is Korean like me is here, and he's going to have a cultural impact, I just want to be part of that wave," added Huh, who has already bought tickets to watch Son.

Huh thinks Son can have the same kind of impact that the Dodgers' Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani has had in baseball.

Josh Lee, co-president of the Tigers Supporters Group, supporters group for LAFC based in Koreatown, said Son is a player for all fans to cherish.

"Son's arrival here is not only big for Korean people," Lee said. "Koreatown is for everyone, so Son is for everyone.

"He's one of the important players in the world," Lee continued, adding that the group's social media following was increasing and membership was rising already.

Son will replace French striker Olivier Giroud, who was sold to Lille in July, and will share a dressing room with French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, his former teammate at Tottenham.

"He's back to my captain, so I have to say something nice about him because otherwise in the locker room he's gonna kill me," Son quipped of Lloris, adding that he was delighted to be reuniting with a teammate he called an amazing player and an amazing human being.

He said speaking with Lloris also helped him make up his mind about the move, which coincidentally will allow him to familiarize himself with life in the United States as South Korea prepares to compete in the 2026 World Cup hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Son looked relaxed as he met the press wearing understated grey and black, and after taking questions posed for pictures with his new black and gold number seven LAFC jersey.

Los Angeles is currently sixth in the MLS Western Conference standings, 10 points behind leaders San Diego but with three games in hand.

- AFP-JIJI

LIONEL MESSI HAT TRICK HELPS INTER MIAMI BREAK MLS POINTS RECORD

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami lifted the MLS Supporters' Shield after Saturday's game. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Lionel Messi scored a stunning 11-minute hat trick to help Inter Miami break the Major League Soccer record for most points in a single season, after defeating the New England Revolution 6-2 Saturday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Miami concluded the MLS regular season with 74 points in 34 games and a 22-4-8 (W-L-D) record, narrowly besting the Revolution's 2021 mark of 73 points.

Luis Suárez propelled Inter Miami to rally from two goals down after 34 minutes, scoring twice in under four minutes to keep alive the chase for the points record.

But it was captain Messi who fittingly cemented Inter Miami's name in league history. Just one minute after coming on he helped set up Benjamin Cremaschi to put Miami ahead for the first time in the 58th minute.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner then took center stage himself, starting in the 78th minute, to score his first hat trick for Miami and in the process become the club's all-time leading scorer with 33 goals.

Miami also became the first team in MLS history to have multiple players score at least 20 goals in a season.

With 20 goals apiece, Messi and Suárez are set to finish second in the Golden Boot race to D.C. United's Christian Benteke (23 goals). Messi, though, leads the league in total goal contributions with a combined 36 goals and assists in only 19 games.

"Our captain has led us, the players have led us in times where it was difficult," Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham said. "But now, tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we prepare for Friday and the playoffs.

"As my partner and friend Jorge Mas said, this was always about creating history for Miami. This was always about family, la familia, our people in this stadium. Tonight, it's about you guys because you supported us through the tough times and you're supporting us through the good times."

Messi returned to action only last month after after sustaining an ankle ligament injury in the final of the Copa América on July 14. But he now has hat tricks in back-to-back games following his treble in Argentina's World Cup qualifying win over Bolivia on Tuesday.

"After the major injury he had in the Copa América, we had to be very careful in his recovery and in his insertion into the team," Miami head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino told reporters. "And it seems to me that both the Argentine team and us here were very careful with that issue and we ended up nourishing each other.

"I think the game with Columbus was very important, especially the second half, with Leo being very involved in what happened in that game. And obviously we also drew nourishment from this last match with Bolivia where he already seemed much looser, much more in rhythm. And obviously today, well, I think the first ball he touches is the pass to Jordi Alba [for Miami's third goal], so today the feeling that we have it in an ideal situation."

It was a night of celebration for Miami. The team was awarded the 2024 Supporters' Shield after the final whistle, having clinched the prize for best regular-season record in MLS for the first time earlier this month. The trophy was Miami's first piece of MLS silverware since debuting as an expansion club in 2020.

Inter Miami previously lifted the inaugural MLS vs. Liga MX Leagues Cup trophy soon after Messi's arrival in the summer of 2023.

After Saturday's win, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced Miami would take part in the 2025 Club World Cup and host the expanded 32-team tournament's opening game at Hard Rock Stadium.

More immediately, Inter Miami will now have home-field advantage through the MLS playoffs. The team kicks off the postseason Friday against the winner of the Eastern Conference wild-card match Tuesday between CF Montreal and Atlanta United.

"Let's get ready for the playoffs," Beckham said.

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