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๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea /Sports

Son Heung-min's Unseen Effort Praised as Key to South Korea's Victory

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Despite not scoring, captain Son Heung-min's tireless effort and movement were crucial in South Korea's World Cup qualifying match against the Czech Republic.
  • Teammates praised Son's dedication, noting how his constant pressure on the defense tired out the Czech players.
  • The opposing coach acknowledged Son's significant impact, while Son himself deflected praise to his teammates.

While the scoreboard didn't reflect his direct contribution, South Korean captain Son Heung-min's relentless effort and strategic movement were hailed as pivotal in the team's World Cup qualifying victory against the Czech Republic. Though his signature curling shots missed the mark and he didn't register a goal or assist, Son played nearly 69 minutes as a forward, consistently disrupting the Czech defense and creating space for his teammates.

His movement was good. (Hwang) In-beom hyung and (Son) Heung-min hyung pulled the defenders along when they came out. All of that really helped the team.

โ€” Lee Kang-inPraising Son Heung-min's off-the-ball movement and its impact on the game.

His ceaseless running and penetration into defensive lines visibly tired the Czech players, especially in the latter stages of the match. This fatigue among the opposition defenders created crucial scoring opportunities for South Korea. Teammates recognized and appreciated Son's unseen contributions. Lee Kang-in, who assisted Hwang In-beom's equalizer, noted, "His movement was good. (Hwang) In-beom hyung and (Son) Heung-min hyung pulled the defenders along when they came out. All of that really helped the team."

I'm not the hero of the victory, (Son) Heung-min is. There were many balls played into the space behind the Czech defense in the first half. (Son) Heung-min must have been really tired, but he ran so much. Because he ran so much in attack, the opposing defenders got tired quickly.

โ€” Kim Seung-gyuHighlighting Son Heung-min's physical exertion and its effect on the opponent's defense.

Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, who made crucial saves, emphasized Son's role: "I'm not the hero of the victory, (Son) Heung-min is." He added, "There were many balls played into the space behind the Czech defense in the first half. (Son) Heung-min must have been really tired, but he ran so much. Because he ran so much in attack, the opposing defenders got tired quickly."

He came deep to try and get the ball, and it wasn't easy to mark him. We tried to prevent him from creating space but failed. He is a truly excellent player.

โ€” Jaroslav ล ilhavรฝ (Czech Coach)Acknowledging Son Heung-min's skill and influence on the match.

Even the opposing coach, Jaroslav ล ilhavรฝ, acknowledged Son's impact. "He came deep to try and get the ball, and it wasn't easy to mark him. We tried to prevent him from creating space but failed. He is a truly excellent player," ล ilhavรฝ commented after the match. Despite the high praise from teammates and the opposition, Son remained humble, stating, "I didn't do anything. (Hwang) In-beom, (Oh) Hyeon-gyu, and (Kim) Seung-gyu hyung did well."

I didn't do anything. (Hwang) In-beom, (Oh) Hyeon-gyu, and (Kim) Seung-gyu hyung did well.

โ€” Son Heung-minDeflecting praise and crediting his teammates.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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