Dimensional Reduction Strike! Son Heung-min Assists Four Times in Half, Becoming the Second MLS Player After Messi to Achieve Four+ Assists in a Half

Is scoring easier or assisting easier? Personally, I believe assisting is more challenging, as hat tricks in goals are common, while hat tricks in assists are far less frequent. Have you ever seen a match where a player assists four or more times in just half a game? This round of MLS witnessed exactly that, created by an Asian player.

On April 5th Beijing time, in the MLS Western Conference Round 6 regular season match, LAFC defeated Orlando City 6-0 at home, with LAFC establishing a massive 5-0 lead by halftime. In this match, 33-year-old Korean forward Son Heung-min started and was substituted after only 58 minutes, having already delivered an astonishing four assists in the first half, appearing like a divine intervention. Son Heung-min playing in MLS truly feels like a dimensional reduction strike. Although the score was lopsided, both sidesstarting lineup values were 41.6 million euros vs 35.9 million euros. MLS team strengths differ from the Saudi Pro League, which is dominated by a few top clubs; MLS teams are relatively balanced, which further highlights the difficulty of Son Heung-min achieving four assists in a single half.

According to MLS statistics, Son Heung-min is the second player in MLS history after Messi to complete four or more assists in a half. On May 4, 2024, in MLS where Inter Miami defeated New York Red Bulls 6-2, Messi delivered five assists and scored one goal in the second half alone, participating in six goals in half a game, truly a celestial performance.