Son Heung-min gets a double in front of 63,000 fans in Seoul

Football

Son Heung-min gets a double in front of 63,000 fans in Seoul

Published: 31 Jul. 2024, 22:18 Updated: 01 Aug. 2024, 17:34

PAIK JI-HWAN
paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min, center, celebrates scoring a goal during a Coupang Play Series match against Team K League at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Wednesday. [NEWS1]

Tottenham Hotspur beat Team K League 4-3 in a well-fought Coupang Play Series match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul Wednesday with 63,395 fans in the stands.

Spurs dominated in the first half, but substitutions in the second gave Team K League a chance to get on the scoresheet and keep things competitive.

Team K League, consisting of 22 players from the K League picked by K League fans and coaches for Wednesday’s match, were able to put some pressure on Spurs, although there was an unsurprising lack of cohesion when they went on the attack.

Tottenham, meanwhile, created a few chances in the early going. Spurs recorded two shots on target in the 13th minute, but goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo saved them both, drawing a cheer from the crowd.

There was a carnival atmosphere at Seoul World Cup Stadium, with practically any interaction with the ball met with loud cheers around the stadium. Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, obviously the home-town favorite, got the loudest cheers of all.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors' Lee Seung-woo was notable during the first half, not just because he turned up with tight dyed braids, but also because he was quick when transiting from defense to attack. He displayed good position skills in the Tottenham territory when attacking, but failed to capitalize.

Lee Seung-woo, right, in action during a Coupang Play Series match between Team K League and Tottenham Hotspur at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Wednesday. [NEWS1]

Winger Yang Min-hyuk was also in the Team K League squad despite having just signed with Spurs. He attempted a shot in front of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario in the 24th minute that went over the bar.

Yang, 18, signed for Tottenham from K League 1 team Gangwon FC on July 28 as the youngest Korean player ever to join a Premier League club, but will not join the Premier League club until the end of the current season.

Yang Min-hyuk shoots during a Coupang Play Series match between Team K League and Tottenham Hotspur at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Son was instrumental on the attack, hammering a shot on target in the 28th minute that Dejan Kulusevski turned into the opening goal on the deflection.

The captain added one of his own in the 37th minute, dribbling past defender Choi Jun on the edge of the penalty area to fire a shot into the back of the net.

Not content with that, Son came back in stoppage time to add another, ending the first half 3-0.

The atmosphere at the stadium heated up in the halftime break when K-pop girl group Twice entered the pitch for a halftime show.

The group sang “Heart Shaker, “Dance the Night Away,” and “Cheer up,” at the end, giving the crowd even more reason to party.

The second saw an entirely different Team K League, as manager Park Tae-ha substituted in 11 players. Tottenham only made three changes at the beginning of the second half, with James Maddison, Brandon Austin and Oliver Skipp replacing Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Vicario.

A changed Team K League quickly pulled one back, with Stanislav Iljutcenko exploiting a loose ball in a counter attack in the 52nd minute, before heading in one more two minutes later to make it 3-2.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou replaced seven more players in the 62nd minute, including Son, who received a loud round of applause as he walked off.

The substitution proved to be effective. Will Lankshear added No. 4 in the 67th minute, and Team K League’s Oberdan responded by scoring a volley from a corner kick in the 81st to make it 4-3.

The win marks Tottenham’s second victory over Team K League, having beaten the 2022 Team K League 6-3 that year in the inaugural Coupang Play Series.

Spurs will return to Coupang Play action on Saturday at the same venue against Bayern Munich, which will wrap up this year’s series.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]