'Captain' Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) raised his voice, saying that better turf is needed.

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, drew 1-1 against Jordan in the 8th match of Group B of the 3rd Qualifying Round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, held at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the evening of the 25th.

As a result, Korea recorded three consecutive draws from the match against Palestine last November to the match against Oman on the 20th and today's match against Jordan. In particular, it left a deep sense of regret as they did not win either of the two home games.

Korea (16 points) still maintained the top spot in Group B. Early on the 26th, Iraq, competing in the same group, lost 1-2 against Palestine and lost the opportunity to chase after Korea.

Following Korea, Jordan (13 points) and Iraq (12 points) occupy the 2nd and 3rd positions in Group B.

In the 9th away match against Iraq on June 5, Korea will qualify for the World Cup main tournament as long as they achieve at least a draw.

The top two teams from the 3rd Qualifying Round will receive direct tickets to the World Cup main tournament.

Son Heung-min expressed regret over not securing a victory at home.

He started the match and assisted Lee Jae-sung's opening goal, but he was unable to secure a victory.

Son Heung-min took the role of the sole forward in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Jumin-kyu, who started in the match against Oman, was left out of the lineup due to poor condition. Coach Hong Myung-bo arranged Son Heung-min at the forefront with Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Jae-sung, and Lee Dong-kyung positioned in the second line.

Son Heung-min, who was tightly marked in the match against Oman, showcased his presence just 5 minutes into the match. He assisted Lee Jae-sung's header goal with a 'delivery corner kick' from the left.

However, Korea conceded a goal in a meaningless manner in the 30th minute of the first half. In the midfield, Park Yong-woo made a mistake, allowing a quick counterattack, resulting in a heartbreaking equalizer from Mahmoud Al-Mardi.

In the second half, Korea struggled, but ultimately failed to secure a victory at home, finishing with a draw.

After the match, Son Heung-min said, 'It’s a disappointing result, but the fact is that Korea is in first place. I will do my best to maintain that position until we finish the 3rd Qualifying Round.' He also mentioned, 'After scoring the opening goal, I told the players to stay a little more focused. Football is a sport where goals are scored, and since we created such a good situation early on, I told the players that I hope we can take control and keep pressuring the opponents until the end.'

He also expressed his disappointment about the 'turf condition.'

Son Heung-min pointed out, 'We can do better. Playing at home, when the turf holds us back, I think, 'Where should we take advantage of our home field advantage?' Many people may think it's an excuse, but football is decided by such small details. It’s very important to us. I hope everyone pays attention to those aspects. It’s frustrating that football players are unable to showcase their skills.'

Lee Jae-sung also commented, 'After the Oman match, we talked about the turf again, and I feel disappointed about the turf condition this time as well. It's true that the players didn't perform well to get results, but I hope the environmental aspect can be improved. Our players usually play in good conditions, so we have that expectation (that the Korean turf would be good too). If those expectations are not met, it leaves a sense of disappointment.'

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