‘Captain Thorn’ Son Heung-min showed his captain’s class by lifting the spirits of a teammate who was struggling mentally.
Tottenham performed a victory ritual in front of their home fans after coming from behind to beat Sheffield United 2-1 in the fifth round of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on Sunday (Nov. 17). It’s a ritual in which the team runs toward the goal and jumps to the sound of the fans’ cheers.
‘Captain’ Son Heung-min didn’t run alone. He dragged his fellow Brazilian striker, Ricardo, who scored the winning goal, in front of the fans. He pushed him on the back. He then looked into the crowd and pointed his index finger at him. This could be interpreted as ‘this guy is the star of the show’.
He came on for Pape Matar Saar in the 35th minute of the second half with the score at 0-1. The Frenchman was one of the trump cards pulled by coach Enzi Postecoglou, who gave Son Heung-min another spot up front.
The Frenchman, who hadn’t made much of an impact since coming on, had one chance in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time. Ivan Perisic’s corner kick was met with a sensational header in front of goal. The goal was all the more welcome after his goal in Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Peru was disallowed after a video assistant referee (VAR) review.
The goal, which came in the fifth round of the league this season, was a heartbreaker. Hichalisson was seen sobbing on the bench during an A match in September. He admitted that the past five months have been difficult for him off the field, with financial and relationship issues. He said he plans to return to Tottenham and seek psychological treatment.
For Postecoglou and his Spurs teammates, his “resurgence” was even more welcome. Son Heung-min was dropped to the bench around the same time as his introduction. He could be forgiven for feeling frustrated that he didn’t make much of an impact. But after Dejan Klucepski’s late winner in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time, Son walked over to him and gave him a heartfelt hug. It’s the “captain’s quality” of looking out for your teammates before your competitors. 스포츠토토
Son Heung-min’s gesture warmed the atmosphere at Tottenham. Spurs, whose spirits have been lifted by the appointment of Postecoglou, have won four in a row since the opening draw to move to 4-1-1 and 13 points. They are two points behind leaders Man City (15), who have won five games in a row. Son, who was silent on the day after scoring a hat-trick at Burnley in the fourth round, will try again for his fourth goal of the season in the north London derby against Arsenal on Sept. 24.