Son Heung-min (Tottenham) made his first congratulatory shot in an official pre-season game.
Son Heung-min scored a come-from-behind goal in a 2024-2025 pre-season friendly against last year's J-League champion Vissel Kobe at Tokyo National Stadium on the 27th, leading Tottenham to a 3-2 victory. It was three minutes into the second half. Son Heung-min swung Brennan Johnson's cross into the net with a direct right-footed shot.
It was the first match of the East Asian tour to South Korea after Japan. Tottenham played their first pre-season friendly match against Hearts in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the 18th (Korea time). He won a 5-1 victory in the first half and the second half.
On the 20th, they clashed with the Queen's Park Rangers of the Championship (second division) in London, England, and won 2-0. Son Heung-min scored two goals in an unofficial practice game against Cambridge United in League 1 (division 3) on the 13th, leading his team to a 7-2 victory. However, in the official friendly match, he did not shake the net despite several chances.
Coach Enze Postecoglou's expectations for Son Heung-min need no explanation. It was a storm of praise from the heart of Japan.
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At a press conference against Kobe, he said, `There are many stories that Tottenham is connected to Yang Min-hyuk. Son Heung-min is also a Korean, so please tell me the status of the transfer and why you want him.
Postecoglou mentioned Son Heung-min 'Captain' He said "There were many Korean players, but none were bigger or better than our Son Heung-min. He is an outstanding player and an outstanding personality. He's the captain of our club, he's just an outstanding individual. We are fantastically pleased to have him at our football club. That's why we look far and wide to get good players." Son responded with a goal.
Postecoglou brought up the 4-3-3 system. Dejan Kulusevski is on the one-top, and Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson are on the left and right. James Maddison played for the offensive midfielder, and Pape Sarr and Ives Bissouma played for the defensive type. Pedro Porro, Emerson Royal, Archie Gray and Ben Davies lined the four-back, and Guglielmo Vicario defended the goal.
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Kobe's strong pressure was effective when the door opened. Tottenham's pass misses followed one after another. The main character who unbarred was Son Heung-min. He passed to Johnson in the 6th minute of the first half by relieving the opponent's pressure, and even got a chance to kick a corner.
However, Tottenham allowed the opening goal in vain. Sarr touched the ball that was out in the 9th minute of the first half by sliding too hard, but it was an exquisite assist. Yuya Osako scored the first goal for Sar's 'pass'.
Tottenham, who were hit hard. Madison's cross, which received Son Heung-min's pass in the 11th minute of the first half, led to Kulusevski's left-footed shot, but it was caught by the opponent's defense.
Tottenham's equalizer came in the 16th minute of the first half. Kulusevski connected Johnson's pass back to the prisoner with a backheel pass. Porro beat one opponent's defense and scored with his left foot.
Tottenham's wave offensive has begun. In the 17th minute of the first half, Kulusevski connected Son Heung-min's pass with a left-footed shot, but he hit the net next to the net. Son Heung-min tried to score with left and right foot shots in the 22nd and 30th minutes of the first half, but fell 2% short. In addition, he scored a perfect left-footed cross to Johnson in the 35th minute of the first half, but the opponent's defense cleared it one step ahead.
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Reuters Yonhap News
Reuters Yonhap News
The first half finished 1–1. At the start of the second half, Postecoglou added Lucas Veribal, Oliver Skipp, Brandon Austin and Jamie Donley instead of Madison, Davis, Vicario and Bissouma.
And three minutes into the second half, Son Heung-min scored a goal, turning the tide. Son Heung-min, who increased his playing time, was replaced with Johnson in the 15th minute of the second half. More than 54,000 fans applauded Son Heung-min. Manor Solomon and Mikey Moore took over.
In the 16th minute of the second half, Donley's left foot shot hit the post. A minute later, Moore hit a right-footed shot, but the opponent's defender, not the goalkeeper, blocked it with his body.
Tottenham allowed an equalizer on the counterattack. Kobe's Jean Patric finished with his left foot after beating the skip. In the 20th minute of the second half, coach Postecoglou brought all the unsubstituted starting resources to the bench by putting Jed Spence and Ashley Phillips in.
Still, Kobe was not Tottenham's opponent. The winning goal came in the 43rd minute of the second half. Moore finished Donley's cross to break the trend.
Son Heung-min will enter his home country of South Korea with his Tottenham teammates on the 28th. Tottenham will play a friendly match against Team K League on the 31st and Bayern Munich by Kim Min-jae on August 3 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
