The spotlight will be on Son Heung-Min, the former English Premier League Golden Boot winner and South Korea captain, who makes his long-awaited home debut for LAFC. Son has already made an impact since joining the Black & Gold earlier in August, scoring a free-kick goal in a 1-1 draw at FC Dallas—earning MLS Goal of the Matchday honors—and adding an assist and a drawn penalty across three appearances.
LAFC (11W-6L-8D, 41 points in 25 matches) is currently fifth in the Western Conference and can tie fourth-place Seattle on points with a win, narrowing the gap to first-place San Diego to nine points while still holding three games in hand. Home advantage is critical for LAFC, who lead MLS in points earned at home since 2018 (266 from 126 games, 2.11 per match) and boast an 8W-3L-2D home record this season. Their last outing at BMO Stadium was a 2-1 Leagues Cup win over Tigres UANL.
San Diego FC, led by manager Mikey Varas, sits atop the conference (16W-7L-5D, 53 points from 28 games) and recently became the fastest expansion club to clinch a playoff spot in MLS history. The team has thrived away from home, notching more points on the road (9W-4L-0D, 27 pts.) than at Snapdragon Stadium. In their first-ever meeting in May, San Diego FC claimed a 3-2 victory after racing to a 3-0 first-half lead.
Key players for San Diego include DP forward Anders Dreyer, who leads the league with 30 goal contributions (13 goals, 17 assists), and Chucky Lozano (8 goals, 8 assists). Defensive midfielder Jeppe Tverskov tops MLS in tackles. LAFC will look to Denis Bouanga, who sits at 89 goals in all competitions for the club and is aiming to become both LAFC’s all-time top scorer and the first MLS player to reach 20 goals in three straight seasons. Bouanga has a reputation for delivering in big games, especially at BMO Stadium, where he has netted 62% of his goals.
Several players could miss time due to national team duties, including San Diego’s Luca de la Torre (called up to the USMNT) and LAFC’s Mathieu Choinière (Canada), but both are expected to feature on Sunday. The stakes are high for playoff positioning, home-field advantage, and California bragging rights.
San Diego’s path to victory depends on adapting to LAFC’s fortress-like home environment, while LAFC will be looking to capitalize on the energy of Son’s debut and a return to home turf after a five-week absence. The chemistry between Son and Bouanga could be decisive as LAFC aims to reestablish dominance and build momentum for the postseason.
For full match details and updates, visit Preview | LAFC vs. San Diego FC – 2025 MLS Season on the LAFC website or follow match coverage on the official LAFC Twitter account.