# Seeing off colleagues who are leaving and taking care of new colleagues ‘Captain’ Son Heung-min is busy

Goalkeeper [Kim Jun-hong](https://rentry.co/4b5i5qqx), who joined the national team as a training partner in place of Kim Seung-gyu, who was discharged due to a ruptured cruciate ligament, is training with Son Heung-min at the Al Egla Training Center in Doha, Qatar, on the 23rd (local time).

The Korean national soccer team, which is attempting to win the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup for the first time in 64 years, is in a bit of trouble due to lower-than-expected performance and injuries to some players in the early stages of the tournament. The more important the role of the captain is, the more reassuring the presence of Son Heung-min (Tottenham), who has been in his 6th year as ‘captain’.

The Korean national soccer team, led by coach Jurgen Klinsmann, will play the third match of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup Group E against Malaysia at Altumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar at 8:30 pm on the 25th (Korean time).

Korea was considered a strong candidate for the championship, with all players recognized on the European stage participating in the competition, including Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Hwang In-beom (Zvezda).

Naturally, it was expected that they would easily take first place in the group stage. However, the progress until the second game was below expectations.

In the first match against Bahrain (a 3-1 win), the team struggled against the opponent's tight defense for the first 45 minutes, and in the second match against Jordan, the team ended up drawing 2-2. Korea is in second place with 1 win and 1 draw (4 points, 2 goal difference), behind Jordan (4 points, 4 goal difference).

South Korea national football team coach Jurgen Klinsmann and Son Heung-min, who are participating in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup, are talking at the Al Egla Training Center in Doha, Qatar on the 21st (local time).

There were also major injuries in important positions. On the 18th, starting goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu (Al-Shabaab) suffered a serious injury, rupturing the cruciate ligament in his right knee, and was withdrawn from the national team.

It is chaotic in many ways, but captain Son Heung-min is playing a central role both on and off the field and is keeping the team centered.

He plays with more dedication than anyone else for 90 minutes, while also encouraging his teammates and helping them improve their concentration. Before and after the game, he uses his experience to advise his teammates and helps the team move forward in one direction.

He's busy outside the stadium too. [Son Heung-min](https://rentry.co/8cbtbvw9) claims to be a mood maker by intentionally joking around at the training ground. Thanks to Son Heung-min's approach first, players such as Kim Joo-seong (Seoul) and Seol Young-woo (Ulsan), who are competing in a major tournament for the first time, are also training with a bright expression.

In addition, Son Heung-min is creating a friendly atmosphere by approaching senior players such as Kim Tae-hwan (Jeonbuk), Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan), and Ki-je Lee (Suwon) first.

Son Heung-min stayed with Kim Seung-gyu, who finished this tournament early due to an unexpected injury, until the end. On the day Kim Seung-gyu left the national team, Son Heung-min talked to him a lot and comforted him, and even personally pushed his wheelchair before getting in the car heading to the airport.

Son Heung-min was also the first player to take care of Kim Jun-hong (Gimcheon), who joined the national team as a training partner the day after Kim Seung-gyu was sent away. Son Heung-min was paired with Kim Jun-hong during stretching sessions conducted in teams of two during team training. Thanks to Son Heung-min's proactive approach, Kim Jun-hong, who joined the national team after about three months, was able to quickly shake off his awkwardness.

Furthermore, Son Heung-min is also acting as a bridge between the players and staff by talking a lot with Coach Klinsmann and the coaching staff.

Thanks to Son Heung-min's tireless leadership both on and off the field, Klinsmann has quickly overcome the shock of his poor performance against Jordan and is preparing for the game against Malaysia in a bright mood. [고스톱](https://www.gostopsite.com/wiki/bbs/board.php?bo_table=ssuddaJokbo)