Despite being thoroughly pushed back, they lifted the championship trophy with the goalkeeper's save.
Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur) has finally engraved the greatest line in his career. After 15 years since entering the professional stage, he lifted the long-desired club competition trophy.
On the early morning of the 22nd (Korea time), Tottenham defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League final held at San Mames in Bilbao, Spain, claiming the top spot. This is the club's first major trophy in 17 years since the League Cup in the 2007-2008 season.
With this victory, Tottenham also secured a spot in the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League. However, the most special reason for this day was that it was the day Son Heung-min achieved his first victory, which he had dreamed of throughout his playing career.
Son Heung-min debuted in 2010 with Hamburg SV in Germany and has played for Bayer Leverkusen before donning the Tottenham jersey since 2015. He has been a symbol and key attacking resource for Tottenham for nearly the past decade, but has remained a runner-up multiple times with the team, failing to win a championship.
He had to accept disappointing results in significant tournaments such as the Premier League runner-up (2016-2017), UEFA Champions League runner-up (2018-2019), and EFL Cup runner-up (2020-2021). The only victory record was a gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.
With this Europa League victory, Son Heung-min has set another milestone. He became the second Korean player to experience winning the UEFA Cup (the predecessor of the Europa League) after former national team coach Cha Bum-kun.
Cha Bum-kun won the UEFA Cup twice as a player with Eintracht Frankfurt in 1980 and 1988. Son Heung-min follows in his footsteps with this victory.
Son Heung-min was excluded from the starting lineup in this match. Recovering from a recent foot injury, he had managed 30 minutes and 70 minutes in the previous two matches, adjusting his condition after his return. Local media expressed differing opinions on whether Son Heung-min would start before the match, and ultimately, coach Ange Postecoglou chose Richarlison as the central forward.
Son Heung-min was substituted into the game in the 67th minute. After entering the match, he made active movements, roaming between the flanks and the center, looking for opportunities. In the 81st minute, he attempted a shot in a counterattack situation, but had to swallow his disappointment as he was pushed back by the opposing defense. Shortly after, in the 85th minute, he took a free kick, showcasing his presence until the very end.
The winning goal came in the first half. Due to a defensive mistake by Manchester United, an own goal occurred, granting Tottenham the lead, which they maintained without allowing additional goals. Throughout the match, Manchester United mounted a relentless attack, but the Tottenham defense did not lose focus.
After watching the goal scene from the bench, Son Heung-min could not hide his joy, and after the final whistle, he enjoyed the trophy moment on the field with his teammates.
According to the BBC, Tottenham had only 27% possession on the day. They attempted 3 shots with 1 being on target. However, as their goal was scored from an own goal by the opponent, Tottenham recorded no shots on target while scoring and winning.
On the other hand, Manchester United recorded an overwhelming 73% possession but fell short. They attempted 16 shots, with 6 on target, but could not shake the Tottenham net.
However, what overwhelmed Tottenham was the goalkeeper's saves. Manchester United did not record even a single shot, while Tottenham blocked 5 shots from the opponents. They lifted the championship trophy by shutting down the opponent's attack at crucial moments. A highlight was Van de Beek's crucial clearance. He cleared a ball that the goalkeeper failed to handle properly right in front of the goal. Tottenham's victory was achieved through rigorous defense.
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