South Korea captain Son Heung-min is preparing to lead his national team at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in North America, facing scrutiny over his recent goalscoring form and the team's friendly defeats.
The 33-year-old forward, now playing for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer, enters his fourth global tournament after heavy friendly losses against Ivory Coast and Austria.
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South Korea will compete in Group A alongside the Czech Republic, South Africa, and co-hosts Mexico, with their opening match against the Czechs in Guadalajara on June 11.
Coach and Captain Respond to Criticism
National team coach Hong Myung-bo defended Son following criticism of his MLS performances and recent international friendlies.
"Son Heung-min is the heart of our team and I have never once doubted that," Hong told reporters.
Hong also addressed fan dissatisfaction with his tactical shift to a back-three system during warm-up matches.
"Our players have been playing in the back-four formation for a long time," he said.
"But we've all seen that we can't afford to take just one set of tactics to the World Cup."
Son remains defiant about his physical condition and career trajectory, having scored 14 goals and provided 20 assists in 34 appearances across all competitions for LAFC since moving from Tottenham Hotspur last August.
"I don't think I've suffered any dip in my performance," the Yonhap News agency quoted him as saying.
The forward expressed frustration regarding public commentary about his international future and scoring droughts.
