Zombie ping pong?
As South Korea’s talisman in the Asian Cup, Son Heung-min’s start in 2024 is not smooth. In the group stage, the Tai Chi Warriors drew with Jordan (world ranking: 87) and Malaysia (130) in a bid to secure second place, with their captain engaging in traditional brawls with various hacks during the match. “We are working very hard on the court. We are trying to give everything for the fans and the country.” Son Xingmin roared. “Some boys were criticized or received comments that sometimes went a little too far.” A fractured team managed by distant Jürgen Klinsmann then found a counter-momentum, “zombie football” Helped them find a way beyond Saudi Arabia and Australia. While other big-name players have been eliminated, Son Heung-min’s team seems ready to “play Ivory Coast” before the Ivory Coast team. But like Peter Andre in the mid-nineties, they couldn’t get rid of Jordan, who beat them 2-0 in a miserable semi-final replay.
While Klinsmann blithely proposed discussing “what is good and what is bad in the tournament” with the Korean Football Association, Son Heung-min was left to carry the can. “I really don’t know what to say. I’m sorry,” he sobbed. Son Heung-min’s embarrassment isn’t quite over yet after suffering the humiliation of a team whose assistant coach asked him to take a photo with him. Now it’s revealed that some of his younger teammates in Qatar did cross the line before the semi-finals – with one teammate guarding it with a tiny net. A lawsuit from the Korean Football Association explains that at the pre-match dinner, “some young players came up to play table tennis… and Son Heung-min and other older players objected to this. The players exchanged a few words, with Son Heung-min in the process Injured finger.” With Son Heung-min perhaps tired of apologizing for his teammates’ mistakes, PSG forward Lee Kang-in stepped up this time. “I’m sorry for leaving a bad image for the fans. I apologize to the many people who were disappointed in me.” Lee wrote on social media Disgrace Instachat. To which we say: Look, this isn’t a dentist’s chair at all, is it?
Son Heung-min is now back at Tottenham Hotspur but his fingers are still tied during Saturday’s win over Brighton. It’s unclear exactly how or when this happened – although anyone who’s lived in a British holiday park knows that table tennis can be brutal. It’s also a strange feeling for a player who is a very likeable, responsible player who likes to make the occasional tricky tackle. Son Heung-min’s bizarre incident at the ping pong table at least put the striker into the Football Geeks Hall of Fame, alongside Alan Mullery (toothbrush), Rio Ferdinand (coffee table), Dave Beasant ( salad) and others. Cream), David Batty (Toddlers), Kirk Broadfoot (Hot Eggs) and Steve Morrow (Tony Adams). Now that he’s back in England, Son is just hoping for a stress-free, stable run-in at home…ah.
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Quote of the day
“We’re talking about a small group of people but I think if that’s what they want they should stay at home because it obviously affects the players on the pitch. In my opinion it’s unacceptable… I think I deserve more respect too – Norwich boss David Wagner was horrified by some Canaries fans who were less than supportive of his substitutions in the 4-2 win over Watford Giving them a Championship play-off spot.
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