'Surpassing Cha Bum-kun to become the GOAT of Korean soccer' Son Heung-min: "Wearing the Taegeuk mark for 16 years was not a given position; what is more precious than my 59th goal is..."

*This content was translated by AI.

'Captain' Son Heung-min (34, LAFC), who has risen to become a living legend of Korean soccer, credited his teammates and fans for setting a new record for the most goals in A-matches. He conveyed overwhelming emotion and sincere gratitude, stating that every moment spent wearing the Taegeuk mark over 16 years was precious.

The South Korea national football team, led by interim head coach Roberto Moreno, defeated Uzbekistan 2-0 in the Hana Bank Invitational friendly match held at Yongin Mireu Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 6th.

In a post-match interview with the broadcasting network, Son Heung-min said, "More than personal records, I am most happy that the players were able to conclude this year's last official A-match held in Korea well and repay the fans with a victory," adding, "We are pleased that we scored two goals and finished the match scoreless."

Son Heung-min scored the opening winning goal by placing a right-footed shot from a free kick opportunity in the 6th minute of the first half. With this goal, he recorded his 59th A-match goal, surpassing former head coach Cha Bum-kun (58 goals) to take sole first place in the most goals scored in men's Korean soccer A-matches. It was a historic moment as he achieved his 301st career goal in official matches when combined with his professional team record (242 goals).

When asked about the significance of the great record, Son Heung-min humbly replied, "I have not taken this position for granted since I was young," adding, "The reason I could score many goals is thanks to my teammates, coaches, head coaches, and fans who always cheered for me as if it were their own matter." He further added, "It is not just my goal that is the most precious; these moments spent together and the 16th years of time are truly precious to me."

Regarding his resolve going forward, he said, "I do not know how long (my national team career) will last, but I think it is most important to always do my best and show a proud appearance when playing with the South Korea national team badge on my chest."

On this day, Son Heung-min completed his mission by being substituted out for Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas) in the 26th minute of the second half.

Son Heung-min, who safely completed a four-match schedule that was physically demanding, said, "It was very difficult due to the schedule, but simply being able to play four matches in Korea after a long time was a great happiness," adding, "When the results were not good, I felt like I had disappointed you and my heart was heavy, but I am grateful that I could have a truly happy camp life during the four matches," looking forward to the upcoming away matches in November.

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*This content was translated by AI.