100th match of A match against Chile… 32 goal tied to 2-0 victory
“It’s an honor to be able to pursue achievements” in mentioning the record of former coach Cha Bum-geun.
Son Heung-min (30, Tottenham), who played the 100th match of the A match, happily celebrated joining the ‘Century Club’ by leading Korea to victory.
Son Heung-min played his 100th match A in the friendly match between Chile and the national football team held at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium on the 6th, and in the 46th minute of the second half, he scored his 32nd goal with a key goal that completed a 2-0 victory.
At the press conference after the match, Son Heung-min praised his teammates first, saying, “I am grateful to the players for playing with good mental strength and good posture even in the last few days after the match against Brazil (Korea 1-5) on the 2nd.” .
He said, “It’s difficult to change the mood after losing a lot, but the players did well so I was able to win.
As much as I did in Korea, I wanted to win this match, and the players came together and played a good game.
I want to say thank you to the players.”
Son Heung-min, who said that he wanted to win the game as much as that day, said, “Even after losing the 100th match, it would feel uncomfortable to receive congratulations. smiled of relief.
Son Heung-min, who made his A-match debut against Syria in December 2010, spent 12 years in the national team.
31 matches played in the captain’s armband alone.
Heung-min Son, who remembered the past, said, “I didn’t think I would play (100 games).
I just tried to work hard every moment, but time goes by really fast.
It passed without a moment to look back.”
“I always dreamed of it,” he said.
The 100th game is 10 years.
During that time, I had to live in the national team steadily, but rather than thinking about it in advance, I tried to create a situation like this.”
Heung-Min Son, who set a record by joining the ‘Century Club’, has another ‘mountain’ to climb before his eyes.
Cha Bum-geun, former coach of the Korean national men’s soccer team, holds the record for most appearances (136 matches) and the most goals scored (58 goals) in a Korean men’s match.
Son Heung-min tied for 14th with Park Ji-sung and Jo Gwang-rae (more than 100 games) in the all-time appearance list, and in scoring, he was the sole scorer following Cha Beom-geun, Hwang Seon-hong (50 goals), Park I-cheon (36 goals), Kim Jae-han and Lee Dong-guk (more than 33 goals). jumped to 6th place.
Son Heung-min, who exploded 23 goals in the English Premier League (EPL) in the 2021-2022 season, set the record for the most goals by a Korean player in a European league season, surpassing the 17 goals that former coach Cha Bum-geun left with Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga in the 1985-1986 season. have.
When asked if he would challenge former coach Cha’s record in the national team, Son Heung-min said, “I wonder if such achievements will appear in front of my eyes if I pass like water.
If you only follow the achievements, you may not be able to go in a good direction as a team or personally.”
He said, “I always feel sorry for being compared to former coach Cha. It’s an honor to be able to follow that achievement.
I think that (records) will not appear if I do what I need to do where I am,” he showed a humble attitude.
Heung-Min Son, who continued to thank the fans, said, “I will work hard with a sense of responsibility so that the fans’ love for soccer does not disappear.
It seems like an exaggeration to ask for more, and if you love and support me like I do now, I will do my best to satisfy you.”
Meanwhile, the soccer shoes Son Heung-min wore in the final match between Iran and Qatar 2022 World Cup in March sold for 16 million won at the auction of the national team’s collection on that day, and the jersey with his handwritten signature sold for 6.5 million won the day before.
Hearing this news, he said, “Thank you for buying something that is nothing at a high price.
If I can provide anything more by talking with the Korea Football Association, I will do that,” he promised.
/yunhap news
