[Photos] Son Heung-min's 90 Minutes at Citi Field, and the 15 That Followed

New York City FC and LAFC played to a 1-1 draw at Citi Field in New York on Oct. 17, with Son Heung-min's final shot bouncing off the goalpost. Twenty-six photos capture the scene from his pregame warm-up to the moment he left the pitch.

Oct. 17, 2026, Citi Field in Queens, New York. Major League Soccer (MLS) side New York City FC faced LAFC on the turf laid over the baseball stadium. Son Heung-min started, and the match ended 1-1. The photos follow him on the scene from his pregame warm-up to the moment he left the pitch.

The match was held as "AAPI Night," celebrating Asian Americans. Korean American fans began arriving hours before the game, and Korean flags (Taegukgi) and signs hung throughout the stands. It was Son's first match in New York in an LAFC jersey.

The players took the field about an hour before kickoff. They warmed up with short passes and shooting drills, while the goalkeepers trained separately. The temperature had dropped to around 10 degrees Celsius (about 50 degrees Fahrenheit).

The match was tight. Leo Baltar finished off a free kick won by Son in first-half stoppage time to put LAFC ahead, and Andrés Perea's header in the 59th minute pulled New York City FC level. Both teams went looking for a winner, but no more goals came.

In second-half stoppage time, Son's shot from the right side of the penalty box hit the goalpost and bounced out. It was the last kick of the match. When the ball struck the inside of the post and came back out, he dropped to the ground where he stood, and the final whistle blew right away.

Even as the crowd filed out, Son stayed down for a long time. He got up only after a teammate came over and offered his hand. With the draw, LAFC added one point and held on to sixth place in the Western Conference.