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The pain was greater than Hwanhee, who scored a goal.
Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) paid tribute to the victims of the Jeju Air plane disaster at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do with a 'ceremony of tears' after scoring two consecutive goals in front of Son Heung-min (Tottenham). Wolverhampton drew dramatically 2-2 in the 19th round of the English Premier League (EPL) of 2024-2025 season against Tottenham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on the 30th (Korea time).
Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan will start, and the last `Korean Derby' in 2024 was completed in the EPL. Hwang Hee-chan flew up. He scored the first goal with his right foot on a free-kick set piece just seven minutes into the match. After sharing the joy of the first goal with his teammates, Hwang Hee-chan stood in his seat and paid silent tribute with his head down.
In a mixed zone interview with Sports Chosun after the game, Hwang Hee-chan said, `Before the game, there was bad news in Korea, so I wanted to prepare well and show good performance. I also thought that it would be a moment of comfort to the bereaved families. I really wanted to convey my condolences to the victims."
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And "At first, of course, I liked it with my colleagues. I thought I would like to celebrate the victims if I scored a goal, but I think I did that (with silence and pointing to the sky)," he said calmly.
But Wolverhampton's lead didn't last long. Tottenham put the game to square one in the 12th minute of the first half when Rodrigo Bentancur equalized with a header from a corner kick. Son Heung-min had a chance to score a penalty kick in the 43rd minute of the first half.
Brennan Johnson stepped up as the kicker of the penalty. However, he was blocked by Jose, the Wolverhampton goalkeeper, and lost a critical chance in the air. Fortunately, Tottenham scored an upset goal in the 48th minute of the first half with Johnson's help from Dejan Kulusevski.
Coach Enze Postecoglou took out three replacement cards in the 19th minute of the second half. Instead of Son Heung-min, Johnson, and Ives Bissouma, Timo Werner, Pape Sarr and James Maddison were added. But it was 'handshake'.
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Except for Sarr, he played a lethargic game, and Wolverhampton's firepower came to life. With Hwang Hee-chan replaced in the 33rd minute of the second half, Jergen Strand Larsen, who was put in place of Matheus Cunha at the start of the second half, shook the net with a strong right foot shot.
Tottenham were hurt badly. In the midst of a murderous schedule, he was mired in a two-game losing streak in the EPL before the game against Wolverhampton. He was defeated by Liverpool 3-6 on the 23rd and knelt 0-1 by Nottingham Forest on the 27th.
But there was no reversal. Tottenham has only one win (two draws and four losses) in the last seven games of the EPL. Wolverhampton, where coach Vitor Pereira appeared as a firefighter, continued its upward trend with two wins and one draw in the last three games.
Hwang Hee-chan scored in two consecutive games, and Wolverhampton escaped from the relegation zone and rose to 17th place (16 points), the remaining Maginot line. Tottenham, with 24 points, are in 11th place.
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Son Heung-min also mourned. He said "I don't know what to say after watching such news before the game. I'm sure the bereaved families are having a very hard time. As a Korean citizen, I feel very, very sad that there is such a bad thing in Korea. I want to sincerely pray for the deceased's repose, and I want to do it from my heart."
On his second consecutive goal, Hwang Hee-chan said, `First of all, I think it's so good that the team has a new coach and we haven't lost three games in a row. I think it's a really important game for us because we lost again today and scored another goal at the end. "
Regarding the aggressive deployment after the manager's change, "I think it was a bit of an important moment for me. In a way, it was a game that I could think of as an opportunity. I'm happy to score a goal in such a game. "As always, the Premier League is a place where we don't know when it will change, so I know that we have to prepare better at a moment like this. That's why I think I need to prepare better. I'm glad that I was able to finish the year really well, both personally and as a team. This is not the end, but the new year comes right away and new games come, so I think I have a great desire to do better in the new year."
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When asked about the disappointment of missing the penalty kick, Son Heung-min said, `This is also the case. All of them grow again through these cases. Of course, I'm so sorry to my team members"And yet "I kept scoring a lot of penalties recently. I think I should make a chance to practice a little more because I didn't get it this time. First of all, I think it's the most upsetting in a way to not win today's game,' he replied calmly.
Tottenham was replaced by Destiny Udozido after complaining of pain in his hamstring (back muscle of the thigh). Reinforcing the January transfer market has become a necessity, not an option.
Son Heung-min said "There's not much I can do. In fact, it is most important for team members to recover well. There are some areas where injuries need to be managed well. As I said before the season, there are so many games that there are cases where injuries are inevitable. I think you have to pay close attention to these parts. I think once again that the club should pay more attention to this. There's nothing that just comes true. That's why I think I'm looking back once again."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
