South Korea crashed out of the World Cup after failing to qualify for the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams. The last 32 had appeared within reach for the squad. However, a shock 1-0 defeat to lower-ranked South Africa in their final group match ended their campaign prematurely.
Former Tottenham captain Son Heung-min started on the bench for the first half against South Africa. A draw would have likely been enough to see South Korea advance to the next round. Son played throughout the second half but he was unable to overturn the 1-0 deficit. Consequently, the disappointing outcome prompted angry criticism of head coach Hong Myung-bo, who resigned on Sunday in the aftermath.
Son expressed his deep sorrow and broke his silence on social media following the team’s exit. Specifically, the attacker wrote on Instagram that he could not run away from reality. First and foremost, he offered his sincerest apologies to the people of South Korea and all the fans. Furthermore, Son confessed that he still struggles to accept the painful reality of the early tournament exit.
This year’s World Cup marks Son’s fourth appearance, and many experts expect it to be his last. Therefore, questions linger about whether he will continue representing the national team after this tournament. Son did not address the retirement issue in his emotional post. Instead, the veteran promised that he would do everything possible from his current position to win back the hearts of the South Korean people. Finally, the forward, who turns 34 next month, vowed to fight with everything he has to bring joy to the fans again.
