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Son Heung-min celebrates with his teammates.
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A spectacular free kick in extra time from the talisman and the captain Son Heung Min sealed a dramatic victory for South Korea in the Asian Cup quarterfinals against Australia, continuing their habit of nervy and sensational finishes in this tournament.
For the second game in a row, South Korea was on the verge of defeat and was eliminated from the competition after Cho Gue-sung equalized in the 99th minute. Taegeuk Warriors to extra time against Saudi Arabia in the round of 16, where they finally won on penalties.
And against Australia, South Korea trailed 1-0 almost four minutes into added time. But Tottenham star Son was brought down in the box as he forced his way through the Australian defense and Hwang Hee-chan converted from the spot to equalize and send the game into extra time.
Then, in extra time, Son unleashed a glorious, curling free kick that sailed past the barrier of Australian defenders, past goalkeeper Matty Ryan’s outstretched hand and into the back of the net.
“The most important thing is that we get the result,” Son said later, according to Asian Cup website. “Whatever name you want to give it, it’s not important. What I can say for sure is that this will only make us stay together even stronger.
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Son’s goal sealed South Korea’s place in the Asian Cup semi-finals.
“Playing 120 minutes is difficult. It’s not easy, but the spirit the boys show keeps us united and I can say with confidence that our strength is that we are one team.”
After absorbing early pressure from South Korea for much of the first 20 minutes, Australia launched their own attack after Craig Goodwin gained possession and danced through the South Korean defence, but his shot was parried away by goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo and Connor Metcalfe skewed. the rebound goes wide.
However, Goodwin got on the scoreboard first just before half-time, firing a powerful shot into the net after Nathaniel Atkinson had cleared the wing and crossed the box.
He soccer fans They later rueed several chances to double their lead after the break, with only a good performance from goalkeeper Jo, as well as some wayward shots, keeping the ball out of the net.
“We were up 1-0 and we had chances to make it 2-0 or 3-0,” coach Graham Arnold said afterward, according to the tournament website as he reflected on the “devastating” loss. “When you don’t take those risks, you get punished.”
And Australia’s slim lead crumbled in the 95th minute following Hwang’s penalty before they faced defeat following Son’s unstoppable free kick in the 103rd minute, with midfielder Aidan O’Neill red-carded for a dangerous tackle two minutes later.
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A penalty from Hwang Hee-chan equalized the score. Taegeuk Warriors deep into injury time.
“It was another drama,” South Korea coach Jürgen Klinsmann said, according to the Asian Cup website. “We are extremely happy. We are excited to pass.
“I’m proud of this team, I’m proud of the spirit they have. I wish sometimes we started 1-0 down so we could play like that from the beginning, running after the ball.”
His team will now face Jordan on Tuesday for a place in the Asian Cup final, as they look to win the tournament for the first time since 1960.