Son feels heat to deliver for Korea

St Petersburg, June 22: South Korea’s Son Heungmin is bearing the weight of expectation at the World Cup just as heavily as Mohamed Salah, Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane. For Son and South Korea, the pressure is shared in the kind of unequal measure that perhaps only Salah would know with Egypt, before his own tournament was hampered by injury.

South Korea are teetering on the brink too, after a 1-0 defeat by Sweden left them needing at least a draw, and probably a win, against Mexico on Saturday to keep any hopes of progressing from Group F alive.

Son blamed himself for the opening loss. “I’m still disappointed about my performance,” he said. “I feel very, very sorry for my team-mates because if we don’t score, it’s my fault, because I need to take the responsibility.”

Son is a star in his home country, to the extent he has to wear a disguise when he leaves the house.

— AFP South Korea vs Mexico on