The result of the call to exclude Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) from the starting lineup was disastrous.
Tottenham was defeated 4-2 by Wolverhampton in the 32nd round of the 2024-25 Premier League held at Wolverhampton's Molineux Stadium on the afternoon of the 13th at 10 p.m. (Korean time). Tottenham, who failed to add points, is in 15th place in the league with 37 points. Wolverhampton, with 35 points and a -15 goal difference, has risen one spot to 16th, threatening Tottenham.
Son Heung-min missed the match due to a foot injury. Tottenham instead brought in Mathys Tel in place of Son Heung-min. Tel showcased his presence by scoring a goal in the 14th minute of the second half off a pass from Brennan Johnson. However, Tottenham's defense crumbled, allowing four goals and suffering a heavy defeat.
None of the Korean players could smile. Hwang Hee-chan, who was waiting on the bench, was substituted in the 38th minute of the second half when Wolverhampton was ahead 3-2. Three minutes later, Matheus Cunha scored a critical goal. Hwang Hee-chan recorded six touches and four passes in seven minutes but had no significant contributions.
Pressure from the British media to exclude Son Heung-min from the starting lineup had been intense since before the match. Tottenham drew 1-1 with Frankfurt in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on the 11th. Tottenham must win against Frankfurt in the away match on the 18th to advance to the semifinals.
On that day, Son Heung-min started as usual but failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Ultimately, Son Heung-min played only 80 minutes before being substituted for Mathys Tel. Coach Ange Postecoglou had only allowed Son Heung-min to play for 57 minutes in the match against Southampton on the 6th to ensure he could perform at 100% in crucial matches.
Son Heung-min was disappointing. He recorded two shots, two chance creations, five touches in the box, and zero successful dribbles (with two attempts) during approximately 79 minutes of play, failing to meet expectations. He bizarrely missed a free-kick opportunity with a cross that went off-target, and a sharply curled shot was stopped by the opposing goalkeeper.
Criticism poured down on Son Heung-min. 'Football London' noted that "besides a good shot early in the second half, he did not meet expectations as a captain," giving him a rating of 5. 'Evening Standard' also said, "He was involved in the buildup for the goal, but the overall impact was lacking," also rating him 5.
The British 'Telegraph' stated on the 11th, "There are doubts about whether Son Heung-min still deserves a place in the starting lineup at Tottenham. He is on the field not for his current form, but because of his long experience. The 20-year-old Odobert and the 19-year-old Tel are faster and more agile. There's serious consideration to exclude Son Heung-min from the lineup."
Once Son Heung-min was excluded, Tottenham's performance declined further. Without the mental pillar Son Heung-min, Tottenham conceded the opening goal and struggled throughout the match. After conceding two goals in the first half, Tottenham was pulled back and ultimately lost. Although Tel, who was mentioned by the British media, scored a goal, it was too much to turn the match around.
Ultimately, the current reality of Tottenham is that the team cannot perform without Son Heung-min. Even in the face of the reality of dropping into the relegation zone, it remains to be seen whether calls to exclude Son Heung-min will continue.
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