South Korean national soccer team “Captain” Son Heung-min expressed his ambition for this tournament in an interview with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
AFC released Son’s interview on its official website on the 17th (Korea time). Son Heung-min, who has the highest name value among the players who will participate in the 2023 AFC Qatar Asian Cup, is drawing a lot of attention in that he is a player who can lead Korea to the championship for the first time in 64 years in addition to his reputation as a world-class striker.
This is Son’s fourth Asian Cup tournament. Son has participated in the 2015 and 2019 Asian Cups since 2011, when he was a promising player. In the 2011 Asian Cup, his first tournament, Son was substituted for India and scored his first goal for the national team. In the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia, he scored three goals in five matches, especially in the final against the host country, Australia, when he scored a dramatic equalizer in the extra time of the second half to lead the match to extra time. However, in the 2019 Asian Cup, Son only recorded one assist without scoring a goal.
Son Heung-min is desperate for a championship more than anyone else. Son has never won a championship in his entire club and national team career. He was the runner-up in the Premier League (PL) and the UEFA Champions League at his club Tottenham Hotspur. His best performance in the Asian Cup was in 2015 when he was able to seek a championship. Son is leading Korea in this tournament and challenging to win the Asian Cup, which is highly likely to be his first and last.
“Qatar occupies a special position in Son Heung-min’s career, and South Korea’s captain Son Heung-min aims to make more history over the next month at the 2023 AFC Qatar Asian Cup,” AFC said in an interview with Son Heung-min.
Son said, “It’s special. My first major competition was the 2011 Asian Cup. It is special to come back to Qatar for the Asian Cup, and I want to make this a special competition not only for myself but also for our country. It will be a long journey. Therefore, we want to focus on every game and make it as special as possible.”
When asked about the national team he played together during the four tournaments, he said, “All the teams in 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023 are hard to compare. It’s hard to compare in soccer. Generations change, and soccer styles change in just one year,” adding, “We have a fantastic team and amazing and talented players. But we need commitment. We have a tremendous team, but 64 years without winning an Asian Cup is quite a long time.”
“Our goal is only one. It is to make this team special,” Son said, explaining that his goal is to make Korea special.
For now, Son Heung-min and Korea were in good shape with a 3-1 victory in the first leg. Son Heung-min, who started the game, did not score an offensive point, but played a role of “bait” by drawing the attention of his opponents and creating opportunities for his teammates. When Korea’s third goal, which was scored by Lee Kang-in, was also the starting player. 헤라카지노주소
Son Heung-min said, “It was a tough game as expected. It’s hard to play easy games against Bahrain. It was hard to target the defense because the opponent prepared really well. We need to do better when we are leading 1-0. We won the game, and the next game is coming up, so it’s important to keep moving forward.”
Korea will have its second match against Jordan on Tuesday. The match against Jordan could serve as a watershed moment for the team to advance to the round of 16 teams and compete for the top spot in its group.