Son Heung-min is set to make his first appearance for Los Angeles FC after receiving visa clearance ahead of Saturday’s MLS match against Chicago Fire.

The 33-year-old forward, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week, travelled with LAFC in the hope his paperwork would be finalised in time. The confirmation came through on Friday, meaning he is available for selection at SeatGeek Stadium.

It will be Son’s first competitive outing since appearing for Spurs in pre-season last month, and his first club match outside Europe since leaving South Korea as a teenager.

“I’ve just completed a full pre-season, so I’m ready,” Son said at his unveiling in Los Angeles on Wednesday. “I came here to play and I want to help the team as soon as possible. There’s some preparation work to do with the coaching staff, but I feel fit and motivated.”

Play-off push
LAFC sit sixth in the Western Conference with 38 points from 22 matches, holding at least two games in hand on all five teams above them. Securing a top-four finish would guarantee home advantage in the first round of the MLS Cup play-offs in late October.

Head coach Steve Cherundolo will hope Son’s arrival adds an extra cutting edge in attack as the Black & Gold aim to climb the table. LAFC have scored 39 goals and conceded 28, giving them the fifth-best defensive record in the league.

Chicago, ninth in the Eastern Conference, remain firmly in the play-off picture. Belgian striker Hugo Cuypers leads the line with 14 goals, including five match-winners, while MLS All-Star Philip Zinckernagel has contributed 10 goals and 10 assists.

Form and key threats
LAFC come into the game having lost only twice in their last 15 league fixtures, collecting seven wins and six draws in that run. They also emerged unbeaten from the group stage of the Leagues Cup earlier this month, although they missed out on the knockout phase.

Denis Bouanga, tied for sixth in the MLS Golden Boot race with 13 goals, remains a key figure in attack. Nineteen-year-old Venezuelan forward David Martínez has also impressed, scoring three times in the Leagues Cup and twice in his last four MLS appearances.

With Jeremy Ebobisse sidelined through injury, Bouanga and Martínez are expected to shoulder the attacking burden – and now they will have the support of one of Asia’s most prolific forwards.

A landmark week in LA
Son’s debut opportunity caps a week of high-profile headlines for LAFC. The club’s announcement of his signing from Spurs was followed by an official introduction to fans and media at BMO Stadium, drawing coverage from around the world.

His arrival is seen as a statement of intent from LAFC, both on and off the pitch, with the player’s global profile expected to boost the club’s visibility and help galvanise their push for silverware.

This meeting will be the third competitive fixture between the two clubs, with Chicago winning 3-1 at home in 2018 and the teams sharing a goalless draw in Los Angeles in 2019. LAFC claimed a 1-0 victory in a pre-season friendly earlier this year.

If Son takes to the field on Saturday, it will mark the start of a new chapter for a player who has already scored more than 160 goals in his club career and captained his country at two World Cups.