Fc Dallas Vs Lafc: Son Heung-min set to start, seeking first MLS goal
FC Dallas face an immediate problem in fc dallas vs lafc: slowing a Los Angeles FC attack led by captain Son Heung-min, who is set to start again while still chasing his first MLS goal. As of 11: 30 p. m. ET on Friday, LAFC’s lineup plan points to Son leading the line at BMO Stadium, raising the stakes for Dallas in the third round of the 2026 MLS season.
Son Heung-min’s start for LAFC raises the pressure on FC Dallas
For FC Dallas, the matchup arrives with Son positioned to play as LAFC’s center striker in a 4-3-3 formation while wearing the captain’s armband. That role matters because Son has already created goals early in the season without scoring one in league play, and LAFC are coming in with momentum from their opening MLS results.
Son has three assists in MLS play since the opening of the league season, but no goals, and he is aiming to change that against Dallas. The game also extends a run of starts for him, described as a third consecutive start, keeping him central to LAFC’s plan rather than rotated out.
LAFC’s projected front three places Dennis Vuanga on the left and David Martinez on the right, with Son in the middle. Behind them, the midfield is listed as Stephen Eustacchio, Timothy Tillman and Marco Delgado. The back line is Eddie Segura, Nkosi Tapari, Ryan Porteous and Sergi Palencia, with Hugo Lloris in goal.
LAFC vs FC Dallas set for BMO Stadium at 12: 30 p. m. Korea time (10: 30 p. m. ET)
The meeting is scheduled for 12: 30 p. m. Korea time (10: 30 p. m. ET) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, as LAFC face FC Dallas in the third round of the 2026 MLS season. The start time and venue place Dallas on the road against an LAFC team that has won its first two MLS matches this season.
LAFC opened their league campaign with a 3-0 win over Inter Miami, described as Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, then followed with a 2-0 win against Houston Dynamo in the second round. Those results are part of an overall four-match winning streak that also includes two CONCACAF Champions Cup matches against Real Spain of Honduras.
Son’s recent match impact has been tied to both chance creation and volume of involvement. In the win against Houston Dynamo, he was credited with two assists. One sequence described him helping Marco Delgado score the first goal in the 11th minute of the second half, and another described his pass in the 37th minute of the second half as the starting point for Stephen Eustacchio’s mid-range scoring shot.
Mark dos Santos has leaned on Son, Vuanga and Eustachio early
LAFC coach Mark dos Santos has already used Son in different match-management ways while keeping him central to the team’s early season. One example described Son starting with the captain’s armband and being replaced after 45 minutes in a match LAFC won by a combined 7-1 across the first and second games referenced.
Still, Son’s individual output has been emphasized through his contributions in other competitions. In the first match of the season against Real Spain, he registered one goal and three assists in 39 minutes, including scoring a penalty kick after a solo dribble breakthrough that led to the foul. He then assisted goals for Vuanga and Tillman in that same burst of production.
Against Houston Dynamo, he was described as playing the full match while producing the most shots and completing five successful dribbles, earning an 8. 1 rating from a named statistics outlet. The immediate question for fc dallas vs lafc is whether FC Dallas can keep those chances from turning into the first MLS goal of Son’s LAFC season.
If LAFC confirm the starting lineup at match time, the clearest swing factor will be whether FC Dallas can prevent Son’s central-striker role from producing his first league goal by the final whistle at BMO Stadium on Saturday night.
