(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Euijin Lee = “Heung-Min Son, the captain of the Korean national team, is a player who transcended football in his home country.”
The BBC on the 5th shed light on the meaning of captain Son Heung-min (30, Tottenham), who led Bentuho to the round of 16 at the Qatar World Cup, to Korean soccer fans.
The BBC summed up the reactions of the fans it met in Qatar and evaluated, “Son Heung-min is respected like a superstar, idol, or superhero. Behind him, he carries the hope of a nation.”
One fan told the BBC, “Son Heung-min is more famous than American pop diva Beyoncé,” and another fan expressed, “Thanks to Son Heung-min, I’m proud to be a Korean.”
The broadcast pointed out that Son Heung-min’s name was always embedded in fans’ uniforms during the group stage, and when Son Heung-min appeared on the big screen in the first game once morest Uruguay, the stadium was filled with cheers.
In particular, attention was paid to the dramatic narrative of returning to the ground wearing a protective pad despite a facial injury before the World Cup.
The BBC said, “I suffered a fracture around my left eye during a match once morest Marseille in the European Football Federation (UEFA) Champions League (UCL), and many Koreans were concerned regarding the possibility of participating in the World Cup.” I joined wearing a black guard,” he explained.
Son Heung-min also introduced the achievements he has achieved while wearing the Taegeuk mark.
He scored 35 goals in 107 A-matches (matches between national teams).
The BBC, which delivered this record, pointed out that “No Korean player has scored more goals than Son Heung-min in the World Cup.”
Son Heung-min has scored three goals in two consecutive World Cup tournaments. Park Ji-sung and Ahn Jung-hwan (retired) are the most tied Korean players ever.
Son Heung-min, who had not yet tasted a goal in Qatar, led the national team to a dramatic advance to the round of 16 with valuable assists instead.
In the third group match once morest Portugal, following advancing with a single dribble for several tens of meters in extra time in the second half, he delivered an exquisite pass to Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), helping to turn the game around 2-1.
Thanks to this final pass, Bentuho, who took 3 points, defeated Uruguay and took second place in Group H.
The BBC described the situation at the time, saying, “Son Heung-min threw off his protection and knelt down. Tears flowed down his face, engulfed in emotion.”
After the match, Son Heung-min explained the meaning of the tears, saying, “I was really happy to know how hard the players were working and to see them up close than anyone else, so I thought they deserved to go to a higher position.”
The BBC commented that Son Heung-min is a symbol of hope that encourages Koreans.
The broadcast said, “The opponent Brazil in the round of 16 is a favorite for the championship, but Korean soccer fans believe that there is a chance if there is a star in his home country, Son Heung-min.”
“Unlike Brazil, where there are many superstars, it is clear who is the superstar in Korea,” he added.
pual07@yna.co.kr
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2022/12/05 16:11 Send