When Son Heung-min collapsed, the first player to run…
South Korea’s national soccer team captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham) crashed into a Brazilian player and collapsed.
On the 6th (Korea Standard Time), Son Heung-min bumped his upper body with opposing defender Marcinho (Paris Saint-Germain) in the 42nd minute of the first half when his team was trailing 0-4 in the round of 16 against Brazil at Qatar 974 Stadium and collapsed on the spot.
At that time, the game was suspended, and Son Heung-min, who was injured, covered his face with his hand and complained of pain, took off his mask and touched his left face with his hand.
At this time, the first player to approach Son Heungmin is Brazil’s Eder Militain (Real Madrid). Militang checked Son Heung-min’s condition and called the referee.
Marcinho then raised Son Heungmin, and Lucas Pacetta (West Ham United), who came late, looked at him with worried eyes.
Son Heungmin soon wore a mask and played the game. Son Heung-min suffered a fracture around his left eye while playing in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) on the 2nd of last month, and started the World Cup without fully recovering.
Son Heung-min’s face bone has not yet been completely attached. His face swelled up a lot because he was playing with a mask on, and there was a scene where he took off his mask as if he were uncomfortable during the game.
When asked in an interview after the game, whether the pain got worse because he was playing with a mask, Son Heung-min replied, “I’m fine because it’s nothing compared to the players’ hard work.”
He also bowed his head, saying, “I’m so sorry that I couldn’t meet your expectations,” adding, “I hope the players and staff understand because we really did our best to prepare for this game.”
In the match against Brazil, the Korean national team conceded four goals in the first half alone. Baek Seung-ho (Jeonbuk) scored a comeback goal in the second half, but the game ended 1-4.