PETALING JAYA: Son Heung-min said South Korea had been given “a big wake-up call” after toiling into the Asian Cup knockout rounds with a madcap 3-3 draw against Malaysia.
Tottenham forward Heung-min said the Koreans would “be ready for any team” after being made to work hard in a group stage that also saw them draw with Jordan.
“When you go into a tournament there are no favourites – there are always underdogs that catch you out,” said the skipper.
“It was a big wake-up call to make us even stronger going into the knockout stage.”
The Taegeuk Warriors’ captain is delighted to see Asian football on the rise.
The 31-year-old said the 3-3 draw against Malaysia is a reminder that the game in Asia is only getting better.
“Malaysia deserved a point. It’s good to see that the competition getting even harder, which only benefits Asian football. There will be more interest too, which is a good sign,” he said.
On the draw with Malaysia, Heung-min said it was tough to take the result as they wanted to end the group stage with a win.
But he hailed Harimau Malaya for their valiant performance and even had some words of praise for his countryman, Kim Pan-gon.
“It was a tough result to take but big credit to Malaysia because they fought till the end. I am pleased to see this for Asian football.
“I’m especially happy for the coach. He is one passionate coach that I have a close relationship with. I hope he and Malaysia can continue to work in a positive way.”
South Korea finished second in Group E with five points, a point behind first-placed Bahrain. The Taegeuk Warriors scored eight goals but conceded six in three games.
Next up, they will face Saudi Arabia in the last 16 at the Education City Stadium on Jan 31.
“Conceding a lot of goals in the group stages isn’t ideal but we will learn,” said. Heung-min
“If you want to win this tournament, you have to be ready for the big teams. It’s a reality you have to face. In the knockout stage, you have to face the big teams and look to win.”
