It was a thrilling penalty shootout victory, but behind it all was the leadership of captain Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham Hotspur).
Jürgen Klinsmann’s men drew 1-1 with Saudi Arabia in the round of 16 of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023 at the Al Rayyan Education City Stadium in Qatar on March 31 (local time). However, they won 4-2 on penalties to advance to the quarterfinals.
South Korea fell behind to Abdullah Radif just 33 seconds into the second half. However, in the ninth minute of extra time, Cho Kyu-sung tied the game with a dramatic goal from Masu-gil in the final minute of regulation. 바카라사이트 The two teams were unable to find a winner in extra time, sending the match into a fateful penalty shootout.
Soomunjang’s Cho Hyun-woo emerged as the hero
Saving back-to-back shots from opposing No. 3 Sami Alnahay and No. 4 Abdulrahman Gharib to give Korea the win. The victory dramatized the cliffhanger for Klinsmann’s men as they continue their quest to become the first Asian champions in 64 years.
Son Heung-min was the unsung hero of South Korea’s miraculous victory, stepping up as captain to take the first kick and not only finding the back of the net, but also turning the penalty spot into a place where the Korean fans were in attendance.
According to a Korean Football Association (KFA) official, the referee at the time, Ilgiz Tantashev, wanted to take the penalty kick from the left side of the goal (where the Saudi fans were) because that’s where the broadcasters’ cameras were. It was a choice that prioritized the broadcast, not the game.
This is where Son’s experience and sense came into play. He immediately approached the referee and asked him why he didn’t flip a coin to determine the goal. The referee agreed and flipped the coin, allowing the Korean team to choose the goal.
Unsurprisingly, Son chose the right goal to avoid the Saudi fans.
It was the goal where Cho Kyu-sung’s dramatic equalizer came from, and it was also the location of a handful of red devils. It was also close to the Korean bench, which gave them a little extra boost, and the result was a happy ending for Korea.
The butterfly effect of Son Heung-min’s leadership. “Actually, the goal should be determined by a coin toss,” said a KFA official. The referee can decide first, but we would have been at a disadvantage if we kicked in front of the Saudi fans. The team that kicks it closer to the bench has a much greater advantage.”
In fact, Son Heung-min is a world-class striker. “He doesn’t speak English, and he’s on a different level,” says a KFA official. If I didn’t know, I could have let it go. But Son Heung-min is definitely a player to be reckoned with,” he said, adding, “I think he has a lot of international experience. It was a captain’s performance.”
Heung-min looked out for his teammates, who might have been nervous in the extreme situation.
After the game, Seol Young-woo said, “Heung-min told me that his brother said, ‘You don’t have to put it in. I’ll take all the responsibility,’ and I thought I would never lose. It motivated everyone,” he said behind the scenes.
Son Heung-min, 토토사이트 순위 who we met at the Al Aegla Training Center on the first day, said, “They told me not to worry about the boos or the atmosphere at all. He told me to just focus on the ball and the direction I want to kick it.”
Son’s advice worked 100% of the time. Starting with the number one kicker, Kim Young-kwon, Cho Kyu-sung, and Hwang Hee-chan all found the back of the net with accurate shots to advance to the quarterfinals. With the leadership of their captain, Son Heung-min, the Cleansman is on a mission to win the championship.
