"I didn't mean to hit it, but Min-jae did..." Son Heung-min's fantastic free-kick goal; the 'unsung hero' is Kim Min-jae: "You don't shoot from there originally"

*This content was translated by AI.

"I want to give credit to (Kim) Min-jae for telling me to shoot."

With a fantastic free-kick goal that marked his 57th career A-match goal, Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) came just one goal short of the all-time record of 58 goals. However, he emphasized 'team play' over his personal record.

The South Korean men's national football team, led by new coach Robert Moreno, secured a 3-0 victory against Ecuador at 8 p.m. on the 24th at Suwon World Cup Stadium in the 'September–October Hana Bank Invitational National Football Team Friendly Match', thanks to relay goals from Oh Hyun-gyu, Son Heung-min, and Lee Dong-gyeong.

Son Heung-min, who continued to serve as captain under the newly formed Moreno-led squad, started as the forward in a 4-4-2 formation and played a key role in leading the team to victory. In the 9th minute of the second half, Son created space by drawing out the opposing defense with clever movement during Oh Hyun-gyu's opening goal. Then, in the 13th minute of the second half, he scored a fantastic decisive goal directly from a free kick taken on the left side of the penalty box.

With this goal, Son Heung-min recorded 57 goals in 148 A-match appearances, coming just one goal short of former coach Cha Bum-kun's record of 58 goals in 136 matches for the South Korean men's national team. After his outstanding performance, Son was substituted off in the 40th minute of the second half and replaced by Lee Dong-gyeong, who immediately scored the team's third goal, sealing a complete victory.

In a post-match broadcast interview, Son Heung-min attributed the team's decisive win despite the short call-up period to the squad's 'concentration'. He said, "Although it was a short time, the players were highly focused during training." He added, "The coach explained many things we needed to do in meetings, and we listened carefully and executed well on the field, which led to a good performance." He further noted, "Most importantly, seeing the players enjoying themselves on the field made me feel even more joyful while playing."

When asked about the unsung hero behind his free-kick goal from a difficult angle near the blind spot, Son pointed to defender Kim Min-jae. Son said, "Actually, I don't really think about shooting from that position," but added, "(Kim) Min-jae came over and told me to just shoot, which gave me more confidence."

He continued with a smile, "I aimed for the corner, but in the end, it was lucky that the ball went in. I want to give big credit to player Min-jae."

Regarding the approaching record for most A-match goals, Son did not lose his characteristic humility. He stated, "As I always say, I am grateful to be part of the national team and strive to remain humble at all times." He added, "I also discussed this with the coach, but I believe such records come naturally."

He also expressed gratitude to Coach Moreno, saying, "Thanks to the coach creating a comfortable environment for me to play more freely on the field, I believe that by enjoying myself, I can break records with the help of my teammates."

Finally, he vowed, "Even if I achieve this record, it won't be because of my individual effort alone. It will be thanks to all my teammates and the coaches who have supported me so far. I will prepare diligently," as he looked ahead to the upcoming match against Uruguay.

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*This content was translated by AI.