For the first time in 18 months, Hugo Lloris began a day with Son Heung-min in his life.
Returning to Los Angeles after missing three Leagues Cup matches, visiting France to finalize his green card and free an international roster slot that was needed to add Son to the roster, Lloris and the 33-year-old South Korean superstar reunited Thursday at the Los Angeles Football Club’s performance center on the campus of Cal State L.A.
Upon signing a deal that required the largest transfer fee in Major League Soccer history, a reported $26.5 million, during Son’s introductory press conference at BMO Stadium the day before, he called Lloris, 38, “my captain.” The next morning, Son said so directly to his team leader for nearly eight seasons with Tottenham Hotspur F.C. in the Premier League.
“He’s sunshine,” said Lloris, who said it felt like they’d never parted ways. “He’s so positive. Everyone who is going to talk about Sonny will be so positive. Honestly, I’m really excited to start this new chapter with him.”
Speaking with one another once reports broke in early July linking Son and LAFC, Lloris said he was honest with his friend about the club, the city and the league.
“Hugo was saying only good things about Los Angeles,” Son said. “That’s what also helped me to make the decision.”
Frankly, Lloris still didn’t expect Son to come.
Son, of course, initially thought LAFC wasn’t his top choice.
But here they are, sharing time, space and the will to win once more.
“It’s amazing, you know, to be together again,” Lloris said. “In your career, it’s a new chapter with a different jersey but the same ambition, same motivation. We all know Sonny, how humble he is, how nice he is, but at the end of the day we cannot forget he is a big competitor.”
Their run in Tottenham ended when Lloris, a World Cup-winning captain for France, joined LAFC on a free transfer before the 2024 season. With Lloris’s departure, Son was elevated to captain, a role he also holds with South Korea a year out from the next World Cup.
LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo has no plans of making Son captain, leaving that to Lloris and Eddie Segura for now. But when Son can work, which could be as soon as Saturday at SeatGeek Stadium – he traveled to Chicago with the team, hoping his visa will clear in time to play – Cherundolo expects the team to score more often.
Encouraging a three-forward alignment to interchange on the field, Son should fit in anywhere, taking on defenders 1v1 or as a partner to Denis Bouanga. “I think those two can be very good together on the field together,” Cherundolo said. They will have the last third of the MLS season plus the postseason to make a great first impression.
After playing 10 of 11 at home since May 24, not including the neutral site Club World Cup matches, Black & Gold supporters in L.A. must wait to see the Bouanga-Son connection in person until San Diego FC visits at the end of the month.
As league action resumes this weekend, the Fire (10-9-5, 35 points) host the first of three straight away days for LAFC (10-6-6, 36 points). New England and Dallas follow, as eight of LAFC’s 12 remaining regular season games take place on the road.
They won their last trip at Minnesota, but success outside L.A. has been tough to come by for Cherundolo’s team in 2025, posting a 2-6-4 record in all competitions. A congested schedule and the way games fell on the calendar contributed to the team’s struggles, but more to the point, in most cases, it’s been a between-the-ears issue.
“I think our mentality has not been always fantastic on the road, where we play in the same manner, with the same confidence, with the same aggression and same demeanor that we play at home,” Cherundolo said. “And that’s what I’m looking to improve the next three away games for sure.”
LAFC AT CHICAGO FIRE
When: Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
Where: SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Ill.
TV/Radio: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV/710 AM, 980 AM
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