2024-01-27 20:55:43
Son Heung-min looks disappointed. Yonhap News Recently, criticism from fans towards the Korean national soccer team has been fierce. In response, ‘captain’ Son Heung-min (Tottenham) asked, “I hope you don’t shake the players, and I hope you protect them.”
The national team, led by coach Jurgen Klinsmann, is aiming to win the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup for the first time in 64 years since 1960. Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) are considered strong candidates for the championship as they have the best power of all time.
However, the performance shown in the three group stage games was disappointing. Korea’s FIFA ranking is 23rd, which is significantly higher in Group E, which includes Bahrain (86th), Jordan (87th), and Malaysia (130th). However, the performance was not overwhelming at all.
In particular, they struggled against the ‘weakest team’ Malaysia. The match ended in a 3-3 draw and was met with criticism. They recorded 1 win, 2 draws and 5 points, ultimately advancing to the round of 16 as 2nd place in their group instead of 1st place as they had targeted.
At a press conference after the Malaysia game, Son Heung-min bowed his head and said, “This is a difficult result to accept. Malaysia did not give up until the end.” He then raised his voice, saying, “It’s disappointing, but the important thing is that we made it to the round of 16. Now we have to focus on the tournament.”
Due to the lethargic performance, there was strong criticism from fans towards the players. In response, Son Heung-min said, “It’s sad to see fans making comments that cross the line online,” and added, “I wanted to talk to reporters. I hope they don’t shake up the players, and I hope they protect them.”
Son Heung-min brightens the mood with body gags. yunhap news
Son Heung-min asked. He appealed, “Before you are a soccer player, you are a human being. The players are doing their best to satisfy the fans,” and “I hope you will care for the players just a little. I sincerely ask the reporters and fans.”
After taking a day’s rest after the game against Malaysia, Korea conducted recovery training and training for the round of 16 at the Al Egla Training Center in Doha, Qatar, on the 27th (Korean time). The atmosphere seemed to have calmed down significantly, but contrary to concerns, the players showed up brightly.
This is because Son Heung-min played the role of atmosphere maker. The players were shooting before training, and at this time, Son Heung-min took on the role of goalkeeper and made everyone around him laugh with his comical moves. As the captain, he represents the players’ position and puts a lot of effort into lifting the mood.
Coach Klinsmann expressed his position on Son Heung-min’s remarks. In an interview with reporters before training that day, he said, “As the captain, I sympathize with Son Heung-min’s position.”
Coach Klinsmann also made a request to the media and fans. He said, “Once we have advanced to the tournament, I think it is not too late to criticize the results even after the tournament is over.” He added, “I hope you will think positively during the competition.”
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