Son Heung-min responds to Kim Min-jae's "fierce outburst": "It hurt my heart. I completely agree with what Min-jae said"... National team's attacking and defensive aces 'sigh' after a poor performance [Ulsan on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korea national football team captain Son Heung-min (34) deeply empathized with his junior Kim Min-jae's (30) outburst, stating that "the defenders are pitiful."

The South Korea men's national football team, led by interim coach Roberto Moreno, drew 0-0 without scoring in the third match of the four-match series against Venezuela in the "September-October Hana Bank Invitational Football National Team Friendly Match" held at Ulsan Munsu World Cup Stadium on the 2nd.

It was such a poor performance that drawing was a blessing. The "all-out attack" that Coach Moreno had previewed was nowhere to be seen, and although Son Heung-min fought hard by finally taking shots in the second half, he ultimately failed to find the back of the net.

The day's topic was not just the dismal performance. Kim Min-jae, who displayed a tenacious defense, threw his football boots roughly onto the bench after being substituted out in the second half. In a post-match broadcast interview, he made a deliberate statement: "Looking at our defenders, they are pitiful. We must all fight and compete together. It is not about individuals; we must run as one team with our heads down."

Son Heung-min, whom the reporter met in the mixed zone afterward, said after hearing Kim Min-jae's harsh words: "It hurt my heart. In fact, there are definitely parts where attackers suffer as attackers and defenders suffer as defenders." He continued, "I understand and empathize with player Min-jae so much. Because the defenders hold the line so solidly from behind, it makes us (attackers) feel that we should perform even better," acknowledging the struggles of the defensive unit.

Son Heung-min expressed his feelings toward the defense, which served as a reliable shield, saying, "As the captain and as a teammate, I am sorry and grateful."

Regarding the instability in South Korea's defensive organization, he stated: "In the second half, while we were applying high pressure, we struggled a bit with knowing when to press and when not to, which allowed the opponents to break through frequently. I believe this part definitely needs to be re-adjusted through training."

Regarding Coach Moreno's formation, he revealed: "He told us in advance beforehand. It is not about breaking the existing framework, but rather a matter of the coach thinking and judging how to gain numerical superiority, so he always informs us in advance." However, he added, "Since it is an instruction from the coach on the field, I think the players need to perform their abilities even better based on that."

Son Heung-min stated: "I think there are many points to improve. I empathize and understand that everyone's expectations rose significantly because we did well in the first match, but right now we are in the process of finding our rhythm, and the players keep changing while conducting various experiments." He further emphasized his resolve by saying, "I think the fact that shortcomings have emerged is actually a good sign. It is important to polish the parts that went well, calmly accept the points that need improvement as professional football players, and develop further as a team."

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*This content was translated by AI.