Son Heung-min Tottenham Hotspur, the captain of the Korean national soccer team, defended Lee Kang-in Paris Saint-Germain's mistake. He also promised to be a "one-team."

Son Heung-min focused on the upcoming game at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seongsan-dong, Seoul, a day before the third Group C match against Thailand in the second Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup.

Korea is leading the group six points, three points ahead of second-ranked Thailand, by beating Singapore and China earlier. If the team continues its winning streak at the match against Thailand, it will confirm its advance to the third qualifying round, where it will rank second in the group.

This match will be the first convocation since the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, which ended last month. The Korean team, which was considered the favorite to win the title and had high expectations for its all-time high, was swept out of the semifinal. Jurgen Klinsmann, who was criticized for his inappropriate attitude as well as his leadership, was sacked. Adding to this was the controversy over Lee Kang-in's downfall against Son Heung-min, the captain of the tournament.

Son Heung-min was reappointed as captain in a chaotic situation, but his responsibility became heavier. "It's not easy to say, but I've never taken for granted even one moment of being called up to the national team. I'm just as honored as I am now," Son said, expressing his responsibility, adding, "What I now think is how to unite this team. I will help each player to draw out their individual abilities." Lee Kang-in was also called to the national team. Son Heung-min said Lee Kang-in apologized in front of the national team players, saying, "Apologies require courage, and Kangin has shown that courage. The atmosphere of the national team is not as bad as many people worry. It will be an opportunity for our national team to unite even more."  메이저사이트

Son's eyes are on the match against Thailand. Thailand is ranked 101st, 79 notches lower than Korea in the FIFA rankings. Although the team is far ahead in objective performance, it maintained the sense of tension. Korea was in the same group with Bahrain, Jordan, and Malaysia in the group stage of the Asian Cup. It faced Saudi Arabia in the round of 16, Australia in the quarterfinals, and Jordan again in the semifinals. There has been no easy match. It also means that Asia's performance has increased.

"I have experienced many leagues, but I don't think any soccer game is a given. Whether it is against Southeast Asian countries or world champions, there will be differences in capability, but the most important thing is the attitude to play in the end. Every game is the final. If you don't have that mindset, you could get into big trouble at home. The mindset and attitude of playing soccer is important," Son said.  

Thailand is considered the toughest opponent in the second qualifying round. "The opponent team is a well-organized team. It is both technical and counter-competitive," interim national team coach Hwang Sun-hong said. "It is a good part that Asian soccer has developed like that," Son said. "As weaker teams grow, Korean soccer needs to develop further. We need to overcome such battles and competition."