'Emotional leader': Scotland ace stars as £20m teammate and brother of ex-Rangers man prove title credentials

The Black and Gold notched their second straight win, surging into fourth place in the Western Conference. It was a night to remember for record signing Son Heung-Min, who set the tone with a goal just three minutes in—set up by Timothy Tillman, brother of former Rangers star Malik.

The South Korean international then doubled the lead inside 16 minutes and completed a memorable hat-trick late on, capping an explosive performance. For Real Salt Lake, a 76th-minute strike from Zavier Gozo proved to be little more than a consolation, with Denis Bouanga adding gloss to the score-line on 88 minutes, before the home side’s frustration boiled over in stoppage time as Victor Olatunji saw red for a headbutt.

Impressing with six headed clearances and winning all but one of his aerial duels, Porteous stayed on the field for the entirety of the clash, playing his third complete 90 minutes in succession, leading one fan to take to social media to claim the Scotland international’s performance had “changed his life” following his impressive early displays.

The former Hibs favourite moved Stateside back in August, opting to leave EFL Championship outfit Watford to become one of two big-name signings for Steve Cherundolo’s side. Agreeing a deal that could see him remain in America’s top flight until 2029, he was swiftly followed by the arrival of Tottenham Hotspur icon Son, who signed for an MLS record fee of £20million just two days later.

Son, who captained Spurs to Europa League glory in May with a 1-0 win over Manchester United, confirmed his departure from the North London club following a hugely successful 10-year stint that saw him score 127 league goals for the club, and was immediately thrust into the action for his new side, making his debut from the bench in a 2-2 draw with Chicago Fire. He has gone on to score five goals in his first six games.

However, Porteous was forced to wait for almost a month to make his full debut due to delays in processing his immigration paperwork, specifically his work visa, coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas in late August. He hasn’t missed a minute of football since then, playing all three games for the California-based franchise as they look to win the MLS playoffs for only the second time since their formation in 2018.

Singled out for praise by manager Cherundolo, his new boss called Porteous an “emotional leader on the pitch”, with the centre-back hailed for his vocal and motivational leadership within the team. “This was a complete performance from us. Clinical finishing up top and solid defending. The only thing we can do at this point is win games and keep climbing the table,” he added. The 26-year-old is now expected to play a key role in the team’s quest to win the MLS playoffs next month, which they have already qualified for with six games to spare.

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