Now the team is poised to score 50 goals. “Captain” Son Heung-min (32) of Tottenham Hotspur will make a fresh start. With Korean national football team coach Hong Myung-bo who returned to the national team for the first time in 10 years, he will take the final step toward advancing to the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time.
South Korea, ranked 23rd by the International Football Association, will play the first Group B match against 96th-ranked Palestine at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The first and second-ranked players in each group of the third qualifying round will advance directly to the World Cup finals.
The first World Cup that Son Heung-min experienced was the 2014 Brazil World Cup under Hong’s leadership. Son scored his first goal in the World Cup finals against Algeria (2-4 losses). Son, who was 22 years old at the time, is now 32. He is targeting North Korea, China and the U.S. after Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. This could be the last World Cup for Son.
“Ten years ago, Son was a very young player at the time. He was carrying the future of Korean soccer. As a result, he is now carrying everything in Korean soccer,” Hong said on Sunday, a day before the showdown. “He is playing a representative role in front of him. I think he continued to be the way we wanted him to be. I think many people’s wishes to grow have come true.”
“The captain may play a bigger role than me. The coach has changed. It is right to start anew in a new atmosphere. I think Son’s role will continue to be important from the beginning to the end in terms of overall teamwork and leadership with existing players. I expect him to play a role as he has done so far. However, I also know the weight that I have unnecessarily felt so far. I will hold things separately, and I think I will be able to do it by getting rid of unnecessary responsibilities overall including personal conditions.”
“I feel like 10 years of Iran passed so fast. On the other hand, it is quite regrettable. The coach also teamed up for the first time at the 2014 World Cup. As the coach himself is the captain, I don’t think he needs to be softened,” Son said. “I think it is important for him to naturally control players with charisma from high up all the time. I am also well aware of that. I respect him and believe that if the players follow him well, it will be helpful enough for us to train regularly and live off the field.”
Son is writing down Asia’s first history by being the top scorer and playing in the English Premier League. He also has an interesting “seasoning talent.” He is famous as a troubleshooter for a manager’s debut match. He also scored goals in his debut match with Tottenham Hotspur F.C. coaches Jose Mourinho, Nunu Espiritu Santo, and Antonio Conte. The A-team is also effective. On March 24, last year, he scored two goals alone in a friendly match with Colombia (2-2 draw), which was Jurgen Klinsmann’s first game. 메이저사이트
Despite Hong Myung-bo’s smooth landing, Son desperately needs a goal. Son is unmatched at the Asian stage. He has scored 13 goals in 19 A-matches last year and this year. He has scored seven goals this year alone. He has only two goals up to 50 A-matches. Son has 48 goals in 127 matches. His position of ranking second in A-matches will soon change from Hwang Sun-hong, coach of the Daejeon Hana Citizen with 50 goals. It is only a matter of time before he surpasses Cha Bum-keun (58 goals), who has the most goals scored. Cha Bum-kun and Hong Myung-bo (136 matches) also have nine more goals to play in.