"Korea Should Not Win the Asian Cup"... Son Heung-min's Father's Sharp Prediction Revisited

Revisiting Past Interview Remarks... "Asian Cup Victory Not Allowed"
Possibility of Korea-Japan Winning... "Korea Must Not Win"

In the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup semifinal, the South Korean national football team suffered a shocking 0-2 defeat to Jordan. Amid this, past remarks by Son Woong-jung, the director of SON Football Academy and father of team captain Son Heung-min, are being revisited.

(From the left) Son Woong-jung and Son Heung-min father and son in training.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

In an interview with Yonhap News on the 7th of last month, Director Son said about the Asian Cup, "To be frank, when thinking about the future of Korean football, we should not win this time." While he added, "Of course, I hope Korea wins," he expressed concern, saying, "If we win in such an underprepared state, how long can we keep relying on that result without any change? I'm worried that Korean football might become sick because of that."

This Asian Cup featured many overseas-based players in the national team, such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Lee Kang-in (PSG), and Kim Min-jae (Munich), earning it the reputation of the strongest lineup ever. However, Director Son analyzed just before the tournament not that "we might not win," but that "we must not win." Regarding this analysis, some self-deprecating comments have emerged, suggesting that he might have foreseen the national team's heavy defeat against Jordan.

When asked which team between Korea and Japan seemed more likely to win, Director Son firmly stated, "In every aspect, including football skills and investment in the football world, Korea lags behind Japan. We must not win." The anticipated Korea-Japan matchup was canceled as neither team advanced to the final.

Director Son's remarks have been revisited on various social networking services (SNS) and online communities following Korea's goalless loss to Jordan. Netizens who encountered his comments responded with remarks such as, "As expected from Woong-jung, he can foresee the future," "Son Heung-min's father is something different," "When I first heard that interview, I wondered 'Why is he saying that?' but after watching today's match, I understand. It was nothing but a ragtag group," and "Amazing insight."

Meanwhile, Director Son began playing football at a young age and had a professional career with Sangmu Football Club, Hyundai Horangi (now Ulsan Hyundai), and Ilhwa Chunma (now Seongnam FC). In 1986, he also represented South Korea in the U-23 Brazil tour football tournament and performed well. However, he suffered a severe Achilles tendon rupture in 1990 and retired from active play at the young age of 28. He is currently active as a youth football coach. He is also the father of Son Heung-min, the 'captain' of the English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

Earlier, the Korean national team advanced to the round of 16 as the second place in Group E, narrowly defeating Saudi Arabia 4-2 in a penalty shootout to reach the semifinals. In the quarterfinals against Australia, they achieved a dramatic 2-1 victory after extra time. However, in the semifinals against Jordan, they lost 0-2, ending their 64-year quest for the championship. The shock is even greater as FIFA-ranked 23rd Korea was defeated by Jordan, ranked 87th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.