[GOAL 상암] Coach Klinsmann expresses his dissatisfaction “The harsh foul against Son Heung-min was inappropriate, I was quite angry” | Goal.com Korean

[골닷컴, 상암] Reporter Kang Dong-hoon = South Korean national soccer team coach Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany), who has always had a bright smile since taking office, showed a dark expression for the first time at a press conference. It was a complaint about a rough foul on Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) when the team was ahead by 4 goals. Coach Klinsmann criticized, “It was inappropriate and it was an unnecessary foul.”

Coach Klinsmann met with reporters at an official press conference immediately after winning 5-0 in the first leg of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asia 2nd qualifier Group C against Singapore at the Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 16th and said, “4- “The scene of such a foul being inflicted on Son Heung-min in a 0 situation was quite upsetting,” he said angrily.

On this day, Klinsmann attacked Singapore’s ‘dense defense’ by raising the line high from the beginning. However, he was left feeling frustrated as he hit the goal post once and had the misfortune of making a mistrial. Then, in the 44th minute of the first half, Cho Gyu-seong (Midtjylland) took the lead with the first goal. Afterwards, Klinsmann had a hot goal feast. Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Hwang Ui-jo (Norwich City), and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) scored consecutive goals to achieve a complete victory.

With his victory, Klinsmann signaled a good start and took the first step on the long journey to the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. Their previous record against Singapore was 22 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses out of 27 matches, widening the gap further. The Klinsmann will depart for China on the morning of the 19th after reorganizing its battle lines through two days of rest and recovery training. Afterwards, the second match will be played against China at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen, China, on the 21st.

Coach Klinsmann said, “I want to praise the players so much. It was not an easy match, but he did his best like a professional until the end. In particular, in today’s case, Singapore had 10 men to play defensively, so calmness was needed to score the first goal, but the players played calmly and scored the first goal.” I showed off my skills to the fullest and won while having fun. “I’m happy,” he said overall.

As expected, Lee Kang-in stepped forward as a ‘solver’ on this day. In a situation where Klinsmann continued to be frustrated as he did not score the first goal despite his fierce attack from the beginning, he helped Kyu-seong Cho score the first goal with a sharp kill pass. He even scored a goal in the second half. In addition, he recorded multiple attack points in three consecutive games. With Coach Klinsmann’s full support, he ‘worked hard’ and established himself as Klinsmann’s ace.

Coach Klinsmann said, “I think Lee Kang-in’s creative play will play a very important role when facing defensive teams. When playing against a defensive team, you need creative players. We also need a player who can penetrate into the box, a player who can score when the opportunity arises, and a player who can overcome one-on-one competition,” he said. “Lee Kang-in has played that role, and I expect he will continue to play that role. He can stab a pass into the space behind him and even finish it himself. “If we have players with this ability, it will be a great help when dealing with teams that are low on the defensive end,” he praised.

He said, “I am very satisfied and happy to see Lee Kang-in grow over the past 6 to 8 months. I think everyone probably thinks that way, and it’s a very good thing for Korean soccer. “It is an honor to be able to work with Lee Kang-in,” he said. “These days, Lee Kang-in is showing that he can take responsibility. He is naturally growing and maturing as he takes on more responsibility. He once again gave high praise, saying, “He not only does what he does, but he also devotes himself defensively and pours out a lot of energy for the team.”

Coach Klinsmann continued, “One of the things we talked about before today’s game was, ‘We need to raise our own expectations ahead of such a long journey.’ “We have to go beyond our own limits,” he said. “Lee Kang-in will definitely show an appearance that is receiving more expectations in the future.” It is important to meet expectations and show a performance that matches them. He emphasized, “He is a much-needed player for the national team, and a player I am always happy to work with.”

On this day, in the 36th minute of the second half, Son Heung-min was kicked precisely in the shin side by a rough back tackle from Shah Shahiran (Tampines Rovers). Son Heung-min, who eventually fell to the ground, complained of pain for a long time and only got up again after receiving treatment from medical staff. Fortunately, he finished the game after playing the remaining time without suffering any major injuries.

Regarding the scene where Son Heung-min was fouled at the time, Coach Klinsmann said, “I was quite angry at the scene where he committed such a foul in a situation where the gap was widened to 4 goals. It was inappropriate and an unnecessary foul. “I got angry for a moment, wondering if I really should have fouled,” he complained.

However, Coach Klinsmann said, “Soccer is a physical game, so there is bound to be contact. If you get fouled, it may hurt for five minutes, and it may be painful. “It is the player’s responsibility to play while enduring pain and managing it,” he said. “Lee Kang-in also showed a limp in the first half after being fouled, but he endured it and performed brilliantly in the second half. He realized how dedicated the players were. There will be difficult games in the future, and there will be times when things don’t go well, but I think we will gain strength as a team by showing the players’ dedication and how they endure pain and play. “The attitude and attitude shown by the players was very positive,” he said.