ROSTOV, KOMPAS.com - Gelandang Korea Selatan, Son Heung-min menyebut kondisi ruang ganti timnya sedang tidak bagus menjelang menghadapi Meksiko, Sabtu (23/6/2018).
Korea Selatan dan Meksiko akan saling berhadapan pada lanjutan penyisihan Grup F Piala Dunia 2018 di Rostov Arena.
Pada laga pertama, Korea Selatan kalah tipis 0-1 dari wakil Eropa, Swedia. Menurut Son, kekalahan tersebut sangat berbekas bagi seluruh skuad Korea Selatan hingga saat ini.
"Persiapan kami untuk melawan Swedia sangat lama. Laga itu sangat penting karena laga pembuka. Tetapi kami tidak mendapatkan hasil yang diinginkan," ujar Son Heung-min seperti dikutip dari situs web resmi FIFA, Sabtu (23/6/2018).
"Saya bisa katakan, atmosfer di tim kami saat ini sangat tidak bagus," ujar Son menambahkan.
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Terkait dengan laga melawan Meksiko kali ini, Son mengakui jika timnya tidak difavoritkan untuk bisa menang.
"Saat ini kami dalam tekanan karena Meksiko tim yang berhasil mengalahkan Jerman pada laga pembuka. Ini adalah laga penting untuk kami," ujar Son.
"Saya tahu para penggemar kami sangat kecewa. Sangat penting bagi kami untuk bisa bangkit dan mengubah atmosfer di dalam tim," ucap Son.
Jika kalah pada llaga melawan Meksiko, maka Son dan Korea Selatan dipastikan akan tersingkir dari Piala Dunia 2018. Sementara jika berhasil menang, maka peluang Korea Selatan untuk lolos ke 16 besar cukup besar.
Duel timnas Korea Selatan vs timnas Meksiko akan dimainkan pada pukul 22.00 WIB.
Pelatih Shin Tae-yong menyebut Son siap mengorbankan segalanya untuk timnas Korea Selatan di pertandingan penting nanti. Korea Selatan mengharapkan kebintangan Son Heung-Min saat dihadapkan dengan partai penting melawan Meksiko, Sabtu (23/6) malam WIB ini.
Tim asal Asia itu dituntut untuk menang jika ingin menjaga asa lolos ke fase berikutnya, dengan mengetahui kekalahan di pertandingan nanti bakal membuat mereka tersingkir.
Sebelum ini tim negeri Gingseng menelan kekalahan tipis 1-0 dari Swedia di matchday perdana babak grup. Waktu itu, Son gagal menginspirasi timnya namun pelatih Shin Tae-yong mendukungnya untuk mengeluarkan kemampuan terbaik. Terkait
“Ya, Son… dia adalah yang terbaik di antara semua pemain Asia,” kata sang pelatih di sesi konferensi pers.
“Jika kalian melihat tim Korea ini, kami memiliki banyak kesulitan. Karena kami dipaksa bermain bertahan [melawan Swedia].
“Dia [Son] juga tidak menampilkan kualitas terbaiknya namun dia siap untuk berkorban untuk tim dan besok dia akan menunjukkan lebih banyak kualitasnya itu.” Artikel dilanjutkan di bawah ini
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The prospect of Tottenham Hotspur star Heung-Min Son having to do two years of military service has always concerned the clubs fans and mention of it during the World Cup has resurrected that fear.
Son was involved as South Korea lost 1-0 to Sweden in their opening group stage game on Monday and the ITV commentators mentioned the attacker's required two-year military service.
Technically, although it's an unlikely scenario, Son's World Cup performances could actually impact what comes later in his career with regards to those two years.
There have been plenty of mixed messages put out about Son and the prospect of him doing that military service back in his native South Korea.
The player himself is reluctant to ever discuss due to any problems that would cause back home due to a massive star looking as if he was trying to skip his national duty. Even requesting delays or finding loopholes is frowned upon as former Arsenal player Park Chu-Young found.
There have been various ages given for when the 25-year-old would have to complete that service. South Korean law says it must be done by 28. Delays have been allowed in the past in certain special cases although as previously stated are not well received by the South Korean public.
South Korean laws indicate that sportsmen who win medals in the Olympic Games or gold medals at the Asian Games are to be handed exemptions from military service, but they still have to do four weeks of basic training.
However, the South Korean team that reached the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup was given a special pardon from the government from military service for their efforts.
So if Son and his team-mates could pull off a similar, albeit unlikely, achievement on foreign soil then that could feasibly happen again.
If not then Son's big chance will come at the Asian Games in Indonesia in August where they will need to take home the gold medal.
Tottenham are looking to hand Son a new contract this summer but the prospect of those two years of military service, will of course play its part.
It is new territory for the club as their previous South Korean player, left-back Lee Young-Pyo, was a member of that 2002 World Cup team that earned its special exemption.
Son turns 26 next month so he would have to begin those two years before he turns 28. South Korean players often play for military teams during their service so any new contract would surely need to include some kind of break clause.
There is always the possibility that Tottenham could delay contract talks until after those Asian Games in August so they have a clear picture of the years ahead.
In the mean time Spurs fans will be hoping for a gold medal for the popular South Korean star.
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