Fifa World Cup: Son Heung-min axed as South Korea’s campaign hits new low
South Korea’s crumbling World Cup campaign has been left dangling by a thread following an insipid 1-0 defeat by deserving South Africa, on a night when Hong Myung-bo excluded Son Heung-min from his starting line-up. It had appeared that Hong’s team were limping towards a last-32 meeting with Canada
By Paul McNamara
South Korea’s crumbling World Cup campaign has been left dangling by a thread following an insipid 1-0 defeat by deserving South Africa, on a night when Hong Myung-bo excluded Son Heung-min from his starting line-up.
It had appeared that Hong’s team were limping towards a last-32 meeting with Canada in Los Angeles, home to more than 300,000 Koreans, when they survived multiple South African opportunities to remain deadlocked beyond the hour mark.
But energetic winger Thapelo Maseko, the most dangerous player on the pitch, finished expertly after 63 minutes to secure his side’s progress to a World Cup knockout stage for the first time.
Hong, already under the microscope back at home, is staring at the ignominy of twice failing to take South Korea out of their group, after claiming only one point as boss in 2014.
They must wait to learn whether they advance as a best third-place finisher. Mexico beat the Czech Republic 3-0 to top Group A with a 100-per-cent winning record. The Europeans ended rock bottom on one point.
The Koreans’ slump represented more bad news for Asian football following a dismal fortnight in North America for the continent’s representatives. The nine teams here have played a combined 20 matches, winning three and losing 12. They have scored 19 goals and conceded 44, claiming 14 points out of a possible 60. Which ever way you look at them, the figures make for sorry reading.
In every respect, other than on the field, Son is still the main man in South Korean football. The supporter who fell ill while penned in a long queue under an unforgiving afternoon sun outside the Estadio Monterrey had the 33-year-old’s name plastered across her jersey.
On the roughly 800km (500 miles) 12.20pm flight north from Guadalajara, David Park, a Los Angeles-based South Korean, who had been desperately keen for his favourites to visit town on Sunday, was lamenting Hong’s treatment of Son.
His thoughts echoed those of most his compatriots, vexed over the head coach’s recent employment of the ex-Tottenham Hotspur player as a lone striker, and his increasing tendency to withdraw Son early.
Here, Hong initially doubled down, condemning Son to the bench and ending his stretch of 12 straight World Cup finals starts, dating back to a 1-1 draw with Russia in June 2014,
A fine defender in South Korea’s 2002 semi-final team, Hong’s decision to pick Oh Hyeon-gyu over Son, as well as bringing in Lee Tae-seok and Hwang Hee-chan did nothing to pep up a team that laboured in their 1-0 defeat by Mexico last week. He acknowledged as much when Hwang, Lee and Paik Seung-ho were all substituted at half-time, with Son, Jens Castrop and Kim Jin-gyu the men introduced.
Kim Min-jae had an early header cleared off the line by Ime Okon, and, soon after, Lee Kang-in blasted narrowly wide following a brisk Korean attack. From then on, South Africa were the brighter, more purposeful and more ambitious team.
Back in his own penalty box, Kim deflected a rising drive from Relebohile Mofokeng over the top, then the unmarked Evidence Makgopa steered a poor header wide of the far post following Aubrey Modiba’s left-wing cross.
After 19 minutes, Oswin Appollis and Mofokeng combined to send Maseko speeding through on goal. Reaching the 18-yard line, Maseko hesitated, allowing Lee Gi-hyuk to recover and block behind.
Repeatedly accelerating infield from the right, Maseko continued to serve fair warning of what was to come.
Having teed up Thalente Mbatha for an effort that extended Kim Seung-gyu to his right, Maseko sent a shot of his own fizzing just too high to bother the Korean keeper.
He was thwarted by a Castrop block shortly after half-time.
Back on the plane, supporter Park, who attended his first South Korea match as a schoolboy when they beat Poland 2-0 in their opening 2002 match, had caveated his pre-match optimism with concerns over Hong’s inability to affect games with his changes.
And the triple substitution did nothing to alter the shape of this contest, regardless of Son playing in support of Oh as opposed to being the lone spearhead.
The South Koreans and Mexicans in the press box jubilantly greeted their TV screens showing Mateo Chavez scoring for the hosts against the Czech Republic over at Azteca Stadium. News of Chavez’s goal soon spread to the stands and a prolonged, visceral roar rolled around the stadium.
It felt like party time when Julian Quinones struck Mexico’s second, seemingly locking South Korea into second and booking their attractive LA date.
But Maseko would finally have his conclusive say. Cushioning a pass along the floor from Tshepang Moremi, he thudded his shot between the legs of Castrop and inside the left post of Kim.
He was ecstatic. Already glistening with sweat, Son forlornly rubbed his face.
Ronwen Williams in the South Africa goal finally had something to do when he reacted to keep out substitute Park Jin-seob’s stoppage-time close-range header. South Korea did not deserve to get out of jail.
At full-time, the South Africans euphorically haring around the pitch had to watch their feet for opponents desolately collapsed in heaps. News of a third Mexico goal, scored by Alvaro Fidalgo, prompted another lusty cheer from the spectators, other than those kitted in red.
It was a night of hugely contrasting emotions. Park, who had considered his US$260 ticket good value, might have been left wondering about that verdict.
Now he and his team are left helpless, waiting to discover whether they sneak through the back door and into the business end of this tournament.