“I want to show my children what a national father looks like.”
“Return MVP” Son Joon-ho (Suwon FC) expressed his desperate desire to return to the national team.
Son started in a home game against Jeju United in round 28 of the K League 1 on Saturday. The game was full of motivation than ever before. The children of the Yuljeon Community Children’s Center in Jangan-gu, Suwon, where Son visited earlier this month to donate money, delivered the match ball, and his son and daughter, who will not hurt even if they put them in their eyes, came out as “escort kids.” Above all, Portugal’s head coach Joao Aruso and Thiago Maia, the new tactical analysis coach, visited the Suwon-Jeju match on the day to observe the movements of Son and other players. Son played for nearly 60 minutes until he was replaced by Yoon Bit-garam in the 13th minute of the second half, and led Suwon to a landslide 5-0 victory by setting a solid center in the midfield as always.
“When I came to Suwon FC, I was determined to be remembered as the most helpful player among the players in the summer transfer market,” Son Joon-ho said. In fact, in the six games Son Joon-ho started, Suwon was strong with four wins, one draw and one loss. “It’s not a brilliant position to score a goal, but it’s a position that really holds the centerpiece of the team and can play a necessary role for the team, so I’m playing with the thought that if I show those parts on the field, the team will do well,” Son Joon-ho said with a smile.
Coach Kim Eun-joong praised Son as “a standard player for defensive midfielders.” “He is a player whose quality has already been proven through the MVP of the league, so he does not need further evaluation,” he said. “Currently, 80-90 percent of physical strength has increased, and joining the national team is a matter of timing.” In response, Son said, “I am more confident than any other player in the defensive midfield. I am confident no matter which player I can compete with.”
As a defensive midfielder, the most important part was “team play.” “When I play defense, I have a lot of covers so that I can select the position well and the defenders can play a little more comfortably. In the case of the sides, I pay attention to the defensive cover that does not give up the cross by playing 2-1 defense with the side winger when there is a one-on-one situation, and when we attack, I always pay attention to the positioning, such as quickly catching the defensive response position when the ball is taken away.” Son Joon-ho, who heard the news of Hong Myung-bo-ho’s visit before the match, said, “I heard that the national team’s head coach is here. Although I didn’t play for a long time today, I tried to show a lot of roles I can show and I played while trying to show a lot of my strengths. I don’t know what you think because the playing time is not as long as I thought, but I have no regrets because I played without regret.”
My wife, son, and daughter from Busan watched my father’s interview from a distance to cheer for my father’s game. Returning to the national team is both a father’s and a family’s dream. Son Jun-ho said, “The children haven’t seen their father play soccer much. It was very meaningful as a father that the children played Escort Kids today, and it is also a great motivation for them to want to wear the national flag again. The children now know the national team and show off that their father is a soccer player when they go to kindergarten. I think if I become a national team member at an age where I get to know soccer little by little, I will become a proud father. I want to become a national team member again because of my family.”
Son Joon-ho, who came back to Korea in March after being caught up in an unexpected incident in the Chinese league last year, has renewed his commitment and commitment to the K-League. “He really cherishes playing every game. I hope his juniors will learn that attitude,” coach Kim Eun-joong said. Every moment, he runs with gratitude for soccer, the importance of family, and the fans. He also has a goal to repay his fans and the people for their constant support through “sharing” during tough times. “I donated my first victory allowance to a community children’s center. I think I have to live my life by paying back even a little bit of what the people have supported and encouraged me,” Son said. “Every single fan tries to sign autographs and communicate more. If I have a better opportunity during my life as a soccer player, I would like to live my life by paying back through donations and sharing.” 안전놀이터
Meanwhile, A-team coach Hong Myung-bo will announce the A-team list at 11 a.m. on the 26th at the soccer center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to play two consecutive home games against Oman (8 p.m. on September 5, Seoul World Cup Stadium) and away games (11 p.m. on September 10, Oman Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex).