‘Captain’ Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham Hotspur) has become the center of criticism surrounding coach Jürgen Klinsmann.
Jürgen Klinsmann’s men’s national team cruised to a 6-0 victory over FIFA No. 95 Vietnam at the Suwon World Cup Stadium on Sunday, with Kim Min-jae opening the scoring and Hwang Hee-chan, Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Jung Woo-young adding to the tally. With two wins at home in October, South Korea has now won three straight A matches.
South Korea scored 10 goals in the two games and didn’t concede a goal. There were a few shaky moments on defense, but they managed to keep a clean sheet. Klinsmann showed his heart by playing Son Heung-min full-time against Vietnam.
There is still some criticism of Klinsmann’s approach, as he has spent more time abroad than in Korea and is focusing on the international scene. In the Tunisia game, Klinsmann was booed by the 60,000-strong crowd as he entered the stadium. It’s unusual for a South Korean national team coach to be booed in his own stadium.
Even in England, Klinsmann is not popular. That’s because of Son Heung-min. “I wanted him to play the full 90 minutes,” Klinsmann said of Son Heung-min, who had a groin problem that needed attention. “He didn’t have a muscle problem. After playing 60 minutes today, he said there was no problem at all. I’m happy that he played 90 minutes,” he said, adding that the player wanted it.토토사이트
After the trial, Klinsmann is sticking to business as usual: He’s traveling to Germany for the Mainz vs. Munich match on Sept. 22. Afterward, he’ll take a break at home in the U.S. and return briefly to watch the FA Cup. After that, he will travel to Malaysia and Singapore again to watch the Asian Champions League.
Klinsmann was criticized after the Tunisia game for revealing that Lee had suggested the position switch himself. Son said, “I think (the media) are looking at the coach too badly. They are all players who can play in different positions. Kang In-ga can play in the center and Jae-sung can play outside. It’s important to recognize the promised play in that position. That’s where the coach gives you freedom. I hope you don’t look at it too sharply,” he urged fans.
Son also limped at halftime against Vietnam. He said, “If you can’t play soccer because of an injury, you shouldn’t play soccer. I bumped my thigh in the first half, but it didn’t affect me. It will be important for me to return to my team and maintain good form,” he said, easing the worries around him.