"It's not like before," "Not at the level to start" — Son Heung-min faces unprecedented harsh criticism... Even soccer fans 'explode with disappointment'

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Public opinion has also poured out unusual harsh criticism. Son Heung-min (34·LAFC), captain of the South Korean national soccer team, fell into a rare slump in performance against Saudi Arabia, and fans appear to have turned their backs on him as well.

The South Korean national soccer team, led by interim coach Roberto Moreno, lost 2-3 in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia held at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, at 11:30 p.m. (Korean time) on the 13th.

After the match, cold assessments of Son Heung-min continued on social media (SNS). In particular, fans expressed regret on the Korea Football Association's official SNS, stating, "While his teammates scored goals and provided assists, Son Heung-min only left behind big chance misses and touch errors," "His ball touches, physical duels, and shots are all not like before; it is not a performance level worthy of starting," and "If he had just taken advantage of the open chances, they could have avoided defeat." Although counterarguments emerged stating that "the responsibility for the defeat cannot be placed on just one player," the prevailing criticism was that he failed to meet expectations as the captain and key attacker.

In fact, Son Heung-min played a full time as the forward in the Saudi Arabia match but failed to capitalize on decisive opportunities. Son Heung-min, who coordinated with Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas), touched the ball 9 times inside the opponent's penalty box—the highest number for both teams—but did not record a single shot on target. His left-footed shot taken from a pass by Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04) in the 19th minute of the first half missed the goal frame, and in the 21st minute of the second half, trailing 1-3, he struck the ball with his right foot from close range after it spilled out due to an error by the opposing goalkeeper, but it went over the crossbar.

Lee Jae-seong (Mainz), who was substituted in immediately after, scored a consolation goal to narrow the gap to 2-3, making the error in the 21st minute of the second half even more painful. The statistics media 'Sofascore' gave Son Heung-min, who missed decisive opportunities, a rating of 6.3 points, which is among the lowest on the team.

The problem is that this slump is not a temporary phenomenon. Son Heung-min played all four matches in full time during the final stretch of his club LAFC's regular season without recording any offensive points, and adding this friendly match, he has been silent for five consecutive official matches.

His MLS performance this season also remains at 7 goals in 31 matches. While he maintains selfless play with double-digit assists, the numbers clearly show a decline in his primary role of goal production. According to soccer statistics media 'FootMob', Son Heung-min's expected goals (xG) this season is 10.4, but his actual goals are 7, which is more than 3 goals short of that figure. This contrasts with the decisive performance he showed during his prime, exceeding his expected goals.

Because he stood directly in front of the camera the day before the match to reaffirm his resolve, the impact of the slump feels even greater. At the pre-match official press conference held at the Doha training ground on the 12th, Son Heung-min explained the background of the joint statement by senior players regarding the so-called '92·96LINE conflict' rumors and retirement speculation that have recently surfaced, declaring a head-on breakthrough.

According to a KBS report, Son Heung-min said at the time regarding his mental struggles over the past period, "There is a lot of talk about the national team, so it has not been easy in fact. If I were to express it as a process of getting healthy, I suppose that would be an appropriate expression," and added, "We have had good conversations about moving forward with one goal and in one direction, so I hope you will judge us only by our performance on the field from now on."

Regarding the weight of the captain's armband he has worn for over 8 years, he said, "I think this weight is also a great honor in a way. I will do my best and continue until the end as long as I can," promising his performance on the pitch.

However, he failed to keep his promise to prove himself with performance in actual play, leaving only regret. Son Heung-min, whose total A-match goals have stopped at 59, will challenge again for honor recovery and the first A-match 60th goal by a South Korean male player in the friendly match against Qatar on the 17th.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original