There is a strange standard being applied to Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham).

The Tottenham Hotspur fan community 'SpursWeb' claimed on the 17th (Korean time) that "If Son Heung-min is a true captain, he should have joined the trip to Germany."

Tottenham played against Eintracht Frankfurt on the 18th at Frankfurt Stadion in Germany for the second leg of the quarterfinals of the 2024-2025 season UEFA Europa League, winning 1-0.

Having ended the first leg home match with a disappointing result of 1-1, the second leg was a must-win. In this situation, with Son Heung-min missing due to injury, Tottenham was in a crisis.

Tottenham consolidated their victory, linking the penalty kick first goal by Dominic Solanke to a total score of 2-1, successfully advancing to the semifinals.

Tottenham lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. Mathys Tel, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson were placed at the front, while James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Lucas Bergewald filled the midfield. Destiny Udoji, Mickey van de Ven, Cristian Romero, and Pedro Porro formed the back four, and Guglielmo Vicario guarded the goal.

Eintracht Frankfurt lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Hugo Ekitike was the sole scorer, and Jean Mateo Bahoia, Mario Götze, and Nathaniel Brown supported the attack. Hugo Larsson and Ellis Skiri protected the back four, while Arthur Teat, Robin Koch, Tuta, and Rasmus Kristensen formed the defensive line. Goalkeeper gloves were worn by Kauan Santos.

Tottenham opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a long-range shot from Tel, and in the 38th minute, Solanke calmly converted a penalty kick obtained after Maddison collided with goalkeeper Santos. Subsequently, Maddison was substituted for Kulusevski just before halftime due to injury.

In the second half, Frankfurt put on a strong attack, but Chaibi's free kick missed, and Christensen's successive shots also went wide of the goal. Tottenham focused on defensive stability after the middle of the second half, bringing in Pape Sarr and Kevin Danso to manage the line.

In the additional five minutes of the second half, Frankfurt pushed for an equalizer, but Tottenham maintained their focus to hold onto the lead. Securing a valuable victory on a tough away trip without Son Heung-min, they clinched a ticket to the semifinals.

Son Heung-min was unable to join this match. The Tottenham club officially announced on the 17th through its channels that "Son Heung-min is still feeling pain in his foot and has been excluded from the away roster." This marks his second consecutive match missed following his absence from the Wolverhampton Wanderers match, and although there was a possibility of returning for the second leg, he ultimately did not recover.

Manager Ange Postecoglou directly explained that Son Heung-min was deemed unable to play despite having monitored his "foot contusion injury. He is the only player missing this trip."

Despite this situation, criticism towards Son Heung-min arose. The argument is that no matter the injury, as team captain, he should have joined the trip.

SpursWeb said before kickoff, "Son Heung-min was excluded from this match due to injury, and despite being the captain, he did not travel with the team to Frankfurt. That is the problem. Why did he not accompany the team on the trip? Frankfurt is a very strong team at home and has remained unbeaten at home this season. Therefore, Tottenham must mobilize all available resources. In fact, Manager Postecoglou has received some positive news. Dejan Kulusevski, who was sidelined due to a foot injury, has recovered, and Kevin Danso is also expected to be included in the bench roster after returning to training."

The media noted that "Son Heung-min's absence is a greater loss in terms of leadership. He did not even board the plane to Frankfurt. This match could determine Tottenham’s entire season. Even if he couldn't play on the pitch, Son Heung-min could have contributed to the team in the locker room, during team meetings, or on the bench. However, he did not accompany the team on the trip to Germany," casting doubt on Son Heung-min's leadership.

It was further stated that "The symbol of a captain is not merely wearing an armband. When the team faces a crucial moment, they should be mentally present, even if their body does not permit it. The weight of leadership displayed by Lionel Messi in Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal had an impact on the team simply by their presence."

SpursWeb expressed, "It is unfortunate that Son Heung-min was not with the team this time. Nevertheless, we hope he remains connected with his teammates in any way possible. Frankly speaking, if they lose this match, Tottenham’s season is practically over. All that may remain is pride. However, judging by the performance shown in recent league matches, it is even questionable whether this team truly understands that pride."

Meanwhile, after the match, Son Heung-min celebrated the team's victory through his social media. Missing the match due to injury and watching the game in London, Son Heung-min left a message saying, "I am so, so proud of you! Well done! Let’s keep it going."

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