Now, people other than Son Heung-min, the captain of the South Korean national team, should apologize.
For Son, the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup was a meaningful event. Son participated in the previous three Asian Cups, but all of them failed to reach the top. This was his last chance to win the Asian Cup.
Son, Korea’s former captain, did his best throughout the entire tournament. He also saved Korea from crisis at a crucial moment. He was trailing Australia 0-1 in the quarterfinals but scored a penalty kick in the second half of extra time. He also scored the finishing goal through a fantastic free kick in overtime.
Son Heung-min struggled full-time in all the matches, but this time, he had no chance of winning the trophy. South Korea was completely defeated by Jordan 0-2 in the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Alayan, Qatar, at 0:00 a.m. on the 7th (Korea time). South Korea’s Asian Cup journey ended in the semifinals.
Son bowed his head after the game against Jordan. “I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry. The players did their best in the meantime, but we are so sorry that our mistake ended the game like this,” Son said in an interview.
Son Heung-min also left an apology on social media. 월카지노주소“The Asian Cup, which many people had been looking forward to, was all focused on the game, so the thank-you greeting was too late. I felt heavy and sad coming back to London after the game, but I arrived safely. As a captain, I wasn’t good enough and I think I wasn’t able to lead the team well. Despite this, I was so proud to be a Korean soccer player because you showed so much love and support. Thank you and I’m sorry,” he posted.
Son Heung-min’s actions like this left many fans sad. It’s not just because Son Heung-min was more desperate than anyone else in this tournament. At this very moment, people who have to ask for forgiveness from their fans remain silent.
For starters, Klinsmann is coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Klinsmann openly said his goal is to win the Asian Cup despite controversies over his frequent overseas trips. Although he confidently said, he failed to keep his promise throughout the tournament due to poor player management and reckless tactics. Nevertheless, Klinsmann has been avoiding immediate answers, saying, “We need to go back and analyze right now. We need to prepare for the World Cup in North and Central America from now on.”
The second is Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association. After all, it was Chung Mong-gyu who chose Klinsmann. Chung chose Klinsmann despite his various problems with the German national team, the U.S. national team and Hertha Berlin. This decision dashed Korea’s chance to win the Asian Cup.
Son Heung-min is not responsible for the 2023 Qatar Asian Cup disaster. They are higher-ranking coach Klinsmann and chairman Chung Mong-kyu. They are in charge of the two, but they are not saying anything refreshing to their fans. This is why I feel all the more sorry for Son Heung-min, who makes a sincere apology.
