This is a humiliating evaluation.
Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 against Reading in their first preseason match held at Select Car Leasing Stadium in Reading, England, on the 19th (KST), thanks to two goals scored early in the second half. It was the first match under manager Thomas Frank.
On this day, Tottenham placed Dominic Solanke at the front line, with Mikey Moore, Alfie Divine, and Brennan Johnson in the second line of attack, and Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr in midfield. Destiny Udogie, Kevin Danso, Cristian Romero, and Pedro Porro formed the back four, and Antonin Kinsky guarded the goal. Son Heung-min was on the bench and substituted in the second half.
The first half was somewhat frustrating. Tottenham maintained high possession, but due to Reading's compact defense and rough pressing, there were few effective shots. Divine, Sarr, and Romero had consecutive shooting opportunities but failed to finish, and the first half ended 0-0.
Immediately after the second half began, manager Frank made multiple substitutions. Along with Son Heung-min, Mohammed Kudus, Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma, Lucas Bergvall, Djed Spence, and Luka Buskovic were substituted in, effectively creating a new lineup.
In the 3rd minute of the second half, a header from Van Der Ven led to the opening goal, and in the 7th minute, Buskovic finished Kudus's pass to extend the lead to 2-0. After that, Tottenham steadily maintained their attacking tempo, threatening Reading's goal.
Son Heung-min played as a left winger in the second half but did not perform as expected. In the 26th minute, he attempted a shot that went over the crossbar, and overall, his movements seemed heavy and his play was chaotic.
Amid ongoing transfer rumors linking him to Saudi Arabia and European clubs, the decision not to start Son Heung-min in the first preseason match can be interpreted as a symbolic moment. Manager Frank noted before the match, "Son Heung-min and Romero will each wear the captain's armband for 45 minutes," and indeed, Son Heung-min was substituted in as captain in the second half, but he did not meet expectations in terms of performance.
After the match, the London regional newspaper 'Football London' released the player ratings for Tottenham, which were somewhat shocking. Son Heung-min received the lowest rating on the team.
The media briefly evaluated, "He showed a very rough appearance in several touches. One difficult shot went well over the goal," giving him a score of 5.
In contrast, the newly joined attacker Kudus received a score of 9. Football London praised him, stating, "It was a really impressive debut. He showcased sensational touches while evading defenders several times, and the corner kick that led to Lancashire's opening goal also came from his foot. He followed up with a pass that assisted Buskovic's additional goal."
This is not the end. The media commented, "In the middle of the second half, he showcased a wonderful dribbling breakthrough along the touchline, accurately finding Jamie Donnelly outside the box. Although this was still a preliminary match against a lower league team, this winger seems to add ample quality to Tottenham."
Of course, this match is just the first preseason game. There is plenty of potential for Son Heung-min to improve his condition and show his true form.
[OSEN]