Jump to now, and Son is the main man. He has been the captain of his country for seven years. The kid who scored against Algeria feels like another lifetime ago.
And now, there’s a difference. Korea are good – better than they have been in years. In 2022, they made it to the last 16 and beat Portugal in the group stage. That strong showing, and subsequent increased presence of Korean talent at top clubs around the world, has piled the pressure on Son and Co. They are no longer plucky outsiders.
“Pressure means that you’re doing well. That’s why everybody gives you a lot of it. I’m always thinking about the positive. It’s making me a better player and a better human being,” Son said.
The Koreans have some real talent to draw from. Kim Min-Jae is a regular for Bayern Munich – and should be back after recovering from a knee injury. Lee Kang-In won the Champions League with PSG last year and is regularly called upon by Luis Enrique. Hwang In-Beom, a standout for Eredivisie side Feyenoord, will be in the picture.
Son is no longer the only one. And maybe that burden feels a little easier to manage.
“You make mistakes,” he admitted. “But there are also teammates who help. So I’m always sharing the pressure with my teammates. They’ve been really, really good at helping me.”
Korea have also added a new wrinkle with Jens Castrop, the German-born Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder who is set to become the country’s first foreign-born World Cup player.
“It’s fun, watching the new generation, and fun to play with them. I try to teach them a lot of stuff,” Son said.
That might be the edge Korea need, and Son, of course, can still help.
“I try to help them, try to give a lot of good things to inspire them,” Son said.
Yet there’s still experience. Hong Myung-bo, who captained the 2002 side and managed the team before, is back in the fold. It leads to a certain amount of confidence.
“We can’t guarantee the results, and I don’t want to say how far I can go,” he said. “I just want us to play our style of football every single game. We fight, we are aggressive, we help each other.”