Korea takes on Tunisia at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
Son Heung-min joins team training from private practice
“We need to create a winning streak before the Asian Cup”
Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) has allayed fears about his fitness.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by Jürgen Klinsmann, will take on Tunisia at 8 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in a friendly match for the Hana Bank Invitational Soccer Team. The team will then travel to Suwon World Cup Stadium to take on Vietnam on the 17th.
Son Heung-min held an official press conference with coach Klinsmann at the National Training Center (NFC) in Paju on the 12th, a day before the match.
“There are no strong teams in soccer. “There are no strong teams in soccer. Everything can happen,” he said, adding, “As it’s our first domestic test in a long time, it would be great if we can show a winning streak with a focused performance.
Klinsmann’s first win came against Saudi Arabia in September. The team had previously played Colombia (2-2 draw), Uruguay (1-2 loss), Peru (0-1 loss), El Salvador (1-1 draw), and Wales (0-0 draw) with three draws and two losses.
“It’s nice to get the first win we were hoping for away from home in September,” said Son, explaining that the October A matches are the last chance to catch our breath before the second round of qualifying for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup next month.
Son also spoke about his own physical condition. He has been dealing with a thigh problem and has been adjusting his training and playing time with the team. After joining the national team on Sept. 9, he continued to train individually, but today he joined the team for the first time.
“I know a lot of people are worried, but I’m still recovering,” he said, “and I’m in much better shape than when I first arrived in Korea.”
Klinsmann will return to action after the A match in October. The team will start the second round of World Cup qualifiers next month, followed by the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar in January. “It’s a big difference between going to the Asian Cup with a winning streak and a good mood,” said Son Heung-min. “We need to get both the process and the result.” “We will carry the good vibes from the results into the World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Cup,” he added.
This season, Son has been on fire for his club. With six goals in eight league games, he is second on the team in scoring. That’s better than in 2021-22, when he was the top scorer. “It’s a ridiculous award because I got it with the help of my teammates,” he said of his top scorer season. “I don’t have any personal ambitions, I just think about how I can help the team.”
“I had a strong mindset from the beginning that I had to show what I couldn’t do last season,” he said.
Son also congratulated Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart), who won both the top scorer and gold medal with eight goals at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. “I think (Jung’s) play helped the Asian Games team a lot,” he said, “Everyone saw his performance and he did well. Congratulations.”먹튀검증
“When you play one tournament, it’s easy to get excited, but Woo Young-i is a calm player,” he said, adding, “She played well, so if she can grow into a better player for the national team, it will help the team.”