San Diego FC spoils Son Heung-min's LAFC home debut with a 2-1 victory

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hirving Lozano and Anders Dreyer scored, and San Diego FC spoiled the home debut of Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-min with a 2-1 victory Sunday night.

After Dreyer got the tiebreaking goal in the 66th minute, Western Conference-leading San Diego held on against a barrage of LAFC chances to extend its unbeaten streak to six matches in MLS play.

Denis Bouanga scored in the first half for LAFC, but the French star and Son both failed to convert golden scoring chances in the final minutes of expansion San Diego's first trip 120 miles north to BMO Stadium. CJ Dos Santos made three saves for the visitors, including a diving stop on Son in second-half injury time.

Son was given a hero's welcome in his first match in Los Angeles, taking the field nearly four weeks after LAFC announced the landmark signing of the South Korean star following his decade at Tottenham. Son played his first three matches on the road for LAFC, scoring a goal and immediately energizing the offense while his new club went unbeaten.

The sellout crowd serenaded Son from the moment he stepped on the field for warmups in Los Angeles, which has the world’s largest Korean population outside Korea. With thousands of fans wearing his jerseys for club and country, Son repeatedly waved to those cheering him on, and he exhorted the crowd into a frenzy right before kickoff.

Bouanga put LAFC ahead in the 15th minute with a beautiful chip volley into San Diego’s net off an excellent pass from teenager David Martínez. Bouanga’s goal was his 15th of the season, all in his last 19 matches.

But Lozano answered in the 33rd minute with a strike from the middle of the box for his ninth MLS goal. The Mexican national team star celebrated by taunting the famously raucous North End supporters' section.

Dreyer put San Diego ahead with a individual effort by the Danish star, slipping behind LAFC's back line to collect Jeppe Tverskov's pass and juking two defenders before firing a left-footed shot for his 14th goal.

LAFC controlled play for long stretches, but couldn't even it.

Son hit a screamer toward the far top corner in the 45th minute, but Dos Santos made a superb leaping save.

Hugo Lloris' long pass put Son in a one-on-one break in the 74th minute, but he couldn't get a shot off.

Son then hit the post in the 78th minute with a shot from the top of the box.

Bouanga got alone on the keeper in the 82nd minute, but waited too long to take a shot.

Son's hard shot in the 92nd minute was saved by a diving Dos Santos.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-Min, second from right, dribbles against San Diego FC defender Jeppe Tverskov (6) during the first half of an MLS soccer match, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-Min, front right, heads the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match against San Diego FC, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-Min waves to the crowd before an MLS soccer match against San Diego FC, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-Min waves to the crowd before an MLS soccer match against San Diego FC, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media that the U.S. Coast Guard had boarded the Motor Tanker Veronica early Thursday. She said the ship had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s "established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

U.S. Southern Command said Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to take part in the operation alongside a Coast Guard tactical team, which Noem said conducted the boarding as in previous raids. The military said the ship was seized “without incident.”

Noem posted a brief video that appeared to show part of the ship’s capture. The black-and-white footage showed helicopters hovering over the deck of a merchant vessel while armed troops dropped down on the deck by rope.

The Veronica is the sixth sanctioned tanker seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products and the fourth since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid almost two weeks ago.

The Veronica last transmitted its location on Jan. 3 as being at anchor off the coast of Aruba, just north of Venezuela’s main oil terminal. According to the data it transmitted at the time, it was partially filled with crude.

The ship is currently listed as flying the flag of Guyana and is considered part of the shadow fleet that moves cargoes of oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.

According to its registration data, the ship also has been known as the Galileo, owned and managed by a company in Russia. In addition, a tanker with the same registration number previously sailed under the name Pegas and was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for moving cargoes of illicit Russian oil.

As with prior posts about such raids, Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law. Noem argued that the multiple captures show that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice.”

However, other officials in Trump's Republican administration have made clear that they see the actions as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.

Trump met with executives from oil companies last week to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution. His administration has said it expects to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

This story has been corrected to show the Veronica is the fourth, not the third, tanker seized by U.S. forces since Maduro's capture.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File)