“I Disappointed My Team Today”: Son Heung-min Contemplates 1-1 Draw Against Oman

Son Heung-min admitted he felt he had “let my team-mates down” following South Korea’s disappointing 1-1 draw at home against Oman in World Cup qualifying.

The Tottenham forward was unable to find the net on Thursday as the Koreans squandered a crucial opportunity to advance closer to next summer’s tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Coach Hong Myung-bo labelled the draw as “our worst performance” in the third round of Asian qualifiers, especially after conceding a late equaliser with just 10 minutes remaining.

South Korea’s lead at the top of Group B has been reduced to three points ahead of both Jordan and Iraq, with only the top two teams securing automatic qualification.

“I feel like I’ve let my team-mates down today,” captain Son stated to reporters after the match in Goyang, near Seoul.

“But this isn’t the only match we’re going to play together.”

“We’ve managed to create positive moments to get this far. We should learn from this match and take the next step forward.”

South Korea will host Jordan on Tuesday in a critical clash.

They are also set to face Iraq away before the conclusion of Group B in June.

“People might think this qualification round is straightforward, but we have to work incredibly hard for every game,” said Son, who has seen reduced playing time at Spurs this season due to form and fitness issues.

“Matches like this can teach us valuable lessons. We must take away any positives we can from this.”

South Korea took the lead late in the first half with a goal from Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan, but Oman equalised late on following a rare foray into attack.

Hong was critical of his team’s display.

“We gave the ball away too easily, and I felt we weren’t in control of the match, even though we had a goal advantage,” the coach remarked. “The opponents didn’t create many chances, yet they still managed to score.”