Son Heung-min enjoys heightened status in San Diego

Son Heung-min enjoys heightened status in San Diego. July. 27, 2018 07:35. by Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com.
U.S. television cameras zoomed in on Son Heung-min, South Korean professional footballer for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, several times, as he was warming up. Some fans were holding banners welcoming Son’s visit to San Diego, California. The scenes suggested Son’s heightened status following his fantastic goals scored at matches against Mexico and Germany during the latest FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Son received high attention before a game against AS Roma (Italy) for the 2018 International Champions Cup (ICC) held in San Diego on Thursday. When he joined the game as a replacement at the 62nd minute, spectators roared with a fervent cheer and applause. The ICC is a pre-season event held in the United States, Austria and Singapore, involving Europe’s big league clubs.

Son did not have many offensive opportunities, as he joined the game when his team, with a three-goal lead, focused on defense. However, he attempted sharp strikes in the front and wings while pressuring opponent players in defense during his 28 minutes of play. Tottenham beat AS Roma 4-1.