By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Son Heung-Min’s move from Tottenham Hotspur to Los Angeles FC has electrified the vibrant LA neighborhood of Koreatown, where fans say they still cannot believe the South Korean star was now a member of their beloved ‘Black & Gold’.
At BiergartenLA, a German-Korean gastropub popular with LAFC supporters, staff and patrons said “Sonny-mania” had gripped the neighborhood just north of the team’s BMO Stadium ahead of his home debut against San Diego FC on Sunday.
“It feels surreal – more like a World Cup vibe,” said partner David Dong.
“It is cool to see LAFC get this much attention and eyes. In the past it’s only been toward the end of the year but these days it feels more like playoff energy. The hype is palpable.”
Son joined LAFC for a reported $26.5 million and leading up to Sunday’s match had appeared in three away games, winning a penalty in his debut, providing an assist in his second match and scoring a free kick in his third.
Off the field, he has also delivered immediate returns.
Sales of his #7 LAFC jersey surpassed every other athlete worldwide on Fanatics when it was launched on August 6 and has remained a best-seller through August, MLS said.
Content featuring Son generated 339 million impressions and 14 million engagements across MLS and LAFC social channels, the league added. His TikTok of winning a debut penalty drew 26 million impressions, the second-best MLS post this year.
The buzz has prompted comparisons with Los Angeles Dodgers’ Japanese star Shohei Ohtani, whose arrival ahead of the 2024 season was credited with a surge in interest and commercial impact.
“He’s everything that people used to describe Shohei and then some,” Dong said.
“He’s just kind, warm, he is everything you want your kids to look up to, he has integrity, he’s a guy helping up the other opponents when they fall down.
“He’s sportsmanship personified, he’s a winner and great at what he does.”
James Lee, a manager at BiergartenLA who moved from South Korea at age 11, said friends back home were making travel plans.
“When Ohtani came to the Dodgers they were shocked and loved it. Same with Sonny coming here,” he said.
“They plan to visit LA, 100%.”
LAFC fan Danny Arreguin drove from Orange County to soak up the atmosphere with visiting relatives.
“I know how much Korea and Koreatown means to LA,” he said.
“The Korean-American population gels well with the Mexican population. I’m Mexican-American and I have cousins here from Texas and I was like, I want to take you guys to Koreatown.”
As for expectations on the field, Dong said he hoped Son could lead the team, which debuted in 2018, to its second MLS Cup.
“We expect LAFC to go all the way, obviously,” he said.
“Hopefully we’ll meet (Inter Miami’s Lionel) Messi in the final. That’ll be fun.”
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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