There were moments when Son Heung-min’s determination could have prevented the collapse. But no response came from his teammates.
LAFC suffered a crushing 0-4 defeat against Toluca on Wednesday at Estadio Nemesio Diez in Mexico, losing 5-2 on aggregate and crashing out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals.
The biggest factor entering the second leg was undoubtedly the altitude. Estadio Nemesio Diez sits 2,670 meters above sea level, one of the highest venues in Mexican football. At higher elevations, air pressure drops, oxygen levels decrease and reduced air resistance changes the movement of the ball. LAFC approached the match cautiously, hoping to protect their first-leg advantage.
However, Steve Cherundolo’s side failed to cope with the conditions. Toluca bombarded LAFC with shots from the opening stages and eventually broke through early in the second half after Ryan Hollingshead conceded a penalty during a scramble for a second ball. Because of the away-goals rule, momentum completely shifted toward Toluca.
LAFC attempted to respond, but their defensive organization collapsed under pressure. As panic grew, the MLS side conceded three more goals and exited the tournament in humiliating fashion.
In many ways, the defeat was self-inflicted. Toluca’s high-altitude advantage was significant, but LAFC also wasted several decisive moments that could have changed the outcome of the tie. Most notably, the two biggest missed opportunities both came from Son Heung-min’s creativity.
In the eighth minute, Son received the ball in space and delivered a perfectly weighted through pass to Denis Bouanga, splitting the Toluca defense open instantly. Bouanga found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper but failed to convert, while Timothy Tillman somehow blasted the rebound over an open net.
Trailing 2-3 on aggregate late in the second half, Son produced another brilliant attacking sequence. In the 78th minute, he led a counterattack and released Jeremy Ebobisse into open space with another precise pass. But Ebobisse hesitated before producing a weak finish, and Bouanga’s follow-up strike crashed against the crossbar.
Despite Son’s efforts, no one around him delivered.
As the scoreline worsened, fatigue from the altitude and the pressure of elimination appeared to take their toll. Even Son eventually lost concentration. In stoppage time, Marlon Santos was sent off before Toluca added a fourth goal. Moments earlier, Son had lost possession while trying to create one final opportunity, allowing Toluca to launch the attack that sealed LAFC’s collapse.
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