“There was some noise, but the players held on strong. The players are well-prepared and always come together with a good attitude, so as the captain, I look at it with pride.”
Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham), who will be the captain under the ‘Hong Myung-bo system’, said this in response to a question about the team atmosphere at a press conference held at Seoul World Cup Stadium ahead of the first match of Group B in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup North and Central America on the 4th. Previously, there was controversy in Korean soccer during the process of appointing Hong Myung-bo as the national team coach.
Son Heung-min said, “The players have completed training well in a good atmosphere. They are having fun preparing,” and added, “I hope we can get off to a good start tomorrow in a good atmosphere.” He continued, “Winning tomorrow’s game is the most important thing,” and emphasized, “If all the players play with one mind, we will have good results.”
Son Heung-min, who was the youngest member of the national team at the time of the Brazil World Cup, has grown into a Korean ace after 10 years and is meeting coach Hong again. Son Heung-min said, “It’s a shame that 10 years have passed so quickly,” but added, “I think the coach, then and now, is the captain, so there’s no need to be gentle.”
He continued, “It’s important for the coach to naturally use his charisma to control the players from a high position. Both I and the players are aware of that,” and added, “If the players respect the coach and follow him well, it will help them in their lives both on and off the field.”
If Son Heung-min plays in this match against Palestine, he will rise to 4th place in the most appearances in A matches. Regarding this, Son Heung-min said, “I don’t really care about (records), but I think more about (how) to get the best results during the national team call-up period,” and “I feel grateful for playing many games for the national team. I hope that tomorrow will be a day that will be remembered with a victory that could become a historical record.”
The Korean national team will play its first match of Group B in the 3rd round of the North and Central American World Cup Asian qualifiers against Palestine at 8:00 PM on the 5th.
Reporter Kim Hye-rin, Donga.com [email protected]
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2024-09-04 20:25:03