Jürgen Klinsmann’s captain Son Heung-min (31-Tottenham Hotspur) has backed the steady progress of Lee Kang-in (21-PSG), who is establishing himself as a new ace.
South Korea cruised to a 5-0 home victory over Singapore in its first Group C match of the Asian second round of the 2026 World Cup (co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States) at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Saturday, thanks to goals from Cho Kyu-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Son Heung-min, Hwang Eui-jo and Lee Kang-in.
South Korea, ranked 2-3 in objective power, were expected to open the scoring at home, but the lid was lifted. They struggled with their opponents’ tight defense and goalkeeping.
However, starting with Cho Kyu-sung’s first goal of the game just before first-half stoppage time, South Korea stormed past Singapore in the second half. Hwang Hee-chan scored in the fourth minute of the second half, followed by Son Heung-min in the 18th minute, Hwang Eui-jo in the 23rd minute on a penalty kick, and Lee Kang-in in the 40th minute.
Son lined up alongside Cho Kyu-sung on the front line, but he was able to move freely throughout the attacking third, making a significant impact in attacking situations.
Heung-min said he is especially excited for the development of Lee Kang-in, who has become a key part of the offense at Klinsmann Lake. He met with reporters in the mix zone (joint press area) and said, “It’s fun. I think it’s a really good phenomenon in a way that a soccer player can be interesting and entertain people,” he said.
He continued, “Kang In-woo has so many talents that it’s really, really ridiculous, so I think we should enjoy watching him play as much as we do now and prevent such a talented player from being ruined by too much pressure. I want to help him a lot from the sidelines, and I don’t know what he thinks of me, but I hope he can accept it and grow into a better player. That’s my hope as a fan.”
The following is a one-on-one interview with Son Heung-min. 토토사이트
Regardless of the result, it was not an easy game. I think the players’ dedication and hard work made the result possible. I think there will be more games like this in the future, and I think today’s game was definitely a good training. I think we’re doing a lot of our homework when we can create more offensive chances, so I think that’s a good thing. In the end, the first step is always the most important, and I think we did a good job. I think we need to forget about today’s match and prepare well for the next one.
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