Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) underperformed in both matches during the March A match series. However, it is clear that this is not just Son's problem.

The South Korean national team, led by Coach Hong Myung-bo, recorded a draw against Jordan in the 8th match of Group B of the 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup Asian qualifiers held at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the afternoon of the 25th. This marks a third consecutive 1-1 draw since last November's match against Palestine, including games against Oman and Jordan.

South Korea, having secured only 1 point, maintains its position at the top of Group B with 16 points (4 wins, 4 draws), but the gap with second-place Jordan (13 points) and third-place Iraq (12 points) is not significant, making it a precarious situation for maintaining the lead.

South Korea started with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Son Heung-min was positioned at the front, with Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Jae-sung, and Lee Dong-kyung in the second line of attack. Park Yong-woo and Hwang In-beom filled the midfield, while Lee Tae-seok, Kwon Kyung-won, Jo Yu-min, and Seol Young-woo formed the back four. Jo Hyun-woo guarded the goal.

In this match, South Korea took the lead in the 5th minute when Lee Jae-sung finished a corner kick by Son Heung-min, but allowed an equalizer in the 30th minute due to a mistake by Park Yong-woo that led to a counterattack.

In the second half, Lee Jae-sung and Yang Hyun-jun connected with a header from Seol Young-woo's cross, but they failed to convert and the match ended without any additional goals.

Coach Hong Myung-bo launched an all-out attack in the second half by substituting Yang Min-hyuk, Yang Hyun-jun, Oh Se-hun, and Oh Hyun-kyu, but ultimately could not secure 3 points. South Korea had overall control of the match but missed another victory due to one critical mistake.

Once again, a lackluster performance was displayed, and a 1-1 draw occurred at home following the match against Oman. If we include the match against Palestine last November, it marks three consecutive 1-1 draws.

On this day, South Korea showed several disappointing moments in both offense and defense. In particular, the performances of Son Heung-min, positioned at the front, and Hwang Hee-chan, who played as a left wing forward, were not satisfactory.

Playing not as a side attacker, but as a front striker, Son Heung-min recorded a total of 44 touches but managed only one shot. There were no on-target shots. He had a passing accuracy of 89% (17/19) and made 5 key passes, but had 0 successful dribbles (1 attempt). He competed in 5 duels with defenders and won 2. He only had 1 aerial duel, which he also lost.

The most shocking statistic is 'possession lost.' Son Heung-min surrendered possession a staggering 14 times to the opponent.

Hwang Hee-chan, who was substituted after approximately 68 minutes, did not perform significantly better. He recorded a total of 49 touches and had a passing accuracy of 85% (28/35). He made 0 key passes, had 1 on-target shot, and recorded 1 successful dribble (5 attempts), along with 14 instances of possession lost, the same as Son.

Son Heung-min previously recorded 19 turnovers in the Oman match, marking a poor statistic. In this match, he recorded 14, bringing his total to 33 possession losses over the two games.

In particular, during the match against Jordan, Lee Tae-seok sent a perfect through ball from the left flank in the 7th minute, and it seemed that Son Heung-min was poised for a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper, but he failed to control the ball properly due to a poor touch and wasted the opportunity.

However, it is difficult to view this solely as Son Heung-min's problem. Even with strikers like Oh Se-hun and Joo Min-kyu starting at the front, a long ball strategy was maintained. Son, standing at 182 cm, is not a player who enjoys aerial duels or headers. Consequently, he struggled throughout the match against defenders like Yazeen Al Arab, who excel at aerial challenges.

After the match, Son Heung-min noted, 'While the result is disappointing, it is an undeniable fact that we are still at the top of the group. We will do our best to maintain that position until the end.'

He stated, 'The players' efforts really do not seem to be reflected anywhere. We are clearly disappointed with the match result. I saw friends who came from afar struggling to adapt to the time difference, dozing off on the bus while heading to the training ground. I felt a mixture of pride and sadness watching the younger players. It is unfortunate that we are not being rewarded. Ultimately, it is everyone's responsibility.'

He added, 'When we are playing at home, and the grass holds us back, it makes me wonder, 'Where exactly do we need to seize this point?' Many people may find this an excuse, but football players truly decide matches by the smallest details. It is very important for us. I hope we can all pay attention to those aspects.'

Son Heung-min remarked, 'It remains a fact that we are currently in first place. If we can show better performances, we will finish in first place.'

[OSEN]