{
  "id": 5713516,
  "title": "What changed Sonny's mind about joining LAFC?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/what-changed-sonnys-mind-about-joining-lafc-5713516",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-05T04:27:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/sports/20260905/what-changed-sonnys-mind-about-joining-lafc"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Son Heung-min's initial thoughts on moving to the United States were firmly against the idea. At that point, he regarded Major League Soccer (MLS) as a league where players in the latter stages of their careers would go to ease into retirement. Having launched his professional career with Hamburger SV in Germany, a top-tier European league, and spent considerable time in the English Premier League (EPL), commonly hailed as the world's finest domestic league, Son had a rather negative view of MLS.\n\nHowever, his perspective underwent a significant shift when he had just one year left on his contract with Tottenham Hotspur. Son started to believe that he needed a fresh challenge, which made him recognize the genuine interest of LAFC, a team that had been eyeing him for some time. Consequently, this led Son to decide on a move to MLS.\n\nIn a recent episode of the podcast \"The Late Run,\" Son shared the backstory behind his decision to join LAFC, his experiences adjusting to life in Germany, and his opinions on both former and current teammates.",
  "summary": "When Son Heung-min first learned that Los Angeles FC (LAFC) were interested in signing him, he had no intention of moving to the United States. At the time, Son viewed Major League Soccer (MLS) as a league where players in the twilight of their careers went to wind down their playing days before retirement. Having made his professional debut with Hamburger SV in Germany’s Bundesliga, one of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "What changed Sonny's mind about joining LAFC?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/what-changed-sonnys-mind-about-joining-lafc",
        "published": "2026-09-05T04:17:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}