Klinsmann expects Son to put his stamp on Asian Cup Qatar

South Korea skipper Son Heung-min has struggled to make his mark at the Asian Cup as defensive opponents do their best to shut him down but the Tottenham Hotspur forward will find a way in the coming games, coach Juergen Klinsmann said on Wednesday.
Son is one of the most recognisable players at the tournament in Qatar with years of experience in the Premier League, but he has scored only one goal in two games – a penalty in a 2-2 draw with Jordan. “Son will always get special attention in this tournament because he plays in the Premier League, it’s a normal process,” Klinsmann told reporters.
“When he gets the ball there will be two or three players closing him down since they play with a defensive-minded approach. It’s similar for Lee Kang-in who plays for Paris St Germain. For them to find space and opportunities to score and assist, opponents will always try to minimise that wherever they can no matter who you play against. Sonny knows how to deal with that, he knows he can find space and we all hope he has more to put his stamp on the tournament.”
South Korea have not yet guaranteed a top-two finish, with the team on four points, and play Malaysia in their final group game on Thursday at the Al Janoub Stadium. Klinsmann said there was a lot of room for improvement as they look to regain their rhythm.
The Koreans salvaged a last gasp point against Jordan in their second game and it is a lesson that Klinsmann hopes his team have learned from with the two-time winners on four points and needing a win against Malaysia to confirm a top-two finish.
“It’s a very tight group,” said 1990 FIFA World Cup winner Klinsmann. “We’re ready for this difficult game against Malaysia, we have respect for the team. We watched and scouted them, so we’re looking forward to a very exciting match. We got a lesson from Jordan, who were highly motivated and kept fighting. We talked about it. We expect the same motivation from Malaysia so there’s no way for us to approach this half-heartedly.”
“They made a huge improvement from game one to game two and were unlucky to lose in the final minutes. Mr Kim (Pan-gon – Malaysia head coach) knows these players well having come through the system. But we have to do our job, play hard, keep the tempo high and hopefully get the three points.
“We don’t want to avoid anybody. We go game to game. We respect Malaysia, who played much better in their second game. Whoever comes after that, it’s not important today, first we have to win our game and play well.”
Malaysia, who are bottom of the group after two losses, have a South Korean coach in Kim Pan-gon. He is no stranger to the South Korean team having been a technical director of the Korean Football Association before making the switch to Malaysia and helping them qualify for the Asian Cup for the first time in four decades.
“Mr Kim knows these guys really well. He’s very well informed about us, that’s good for him,” Klinsmann said with a smile. “We have to approach the game the right way and respect his team.”
It will be a special game for Kim as he goes up against his country of birth but the Malaysia head coach intends to put the personal links aside and use the match as a gauge for the future. Malaysia will resume their Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 in March with a double-header against Oman, which could pave the way for them to potentially face teams like South Korea in the future
“After two games, it’s decided that we can’t go to the Round of 16,” said the 54-year-old. “It’s tough because that was our target for this tournament. We’re facing a giant in our last game but it is a positive challenge for us as we have nothing to lose. Depending on the situation, perhaps we may get something. We can use this as a foundation for the future. We face World Cup qualification in March and June. If we succeed to go to the final stage, we may get to face such giants again. We want to use this opportunity to taste, feel and learn.”