S. Korea look to Son joining team

dubai — South Korea’s Portuguese coach Paulo Bento is itching to get Tottenham star Son Heung-Min in his team at the AFC Asian Cup.

But Son is unavailable for selection until the final game of the group stages, thanks to a deal signed by the talented striker’s club — Tottenham Hotspur — and his country’s football federation.

South Korea certainly missed their most gifted attacking player in their hard-fought 1-0 win over Philippines in the Group C opener on Monday.

And Bento didn’t shy away from admitting that Son’s presence in the final group game against China in Abu Dhabi on January 16 would lift the morale of his team.

The Tottenham player also played a key role in South Korea’s triumph at the Jakarta Asian Games last year.

“About Son, I think everyone knows his talent, his quality. I know the influence he has in our way of playing,” Bento said at the post-match press conference on Monday night.

“Of course, we know our style, we need players in the last metres to create problems for the other team. So we hope to have Son in good conditions in the third game against China.”

Despite enjoying 70 per cent possession against Philippines, South Korea created only a few scoring opportunities in their first game.

“It’s true we didn’t have a lot of chances to score. But we controlled the game. What we should do in the next game is try to attack better than we did today,” he said.

“Our idea is going to be the same. Try to attack as much as possible, try to create as much opportunities as we can. But, of course, it’s not going to be easy if the other side is going to be a team that is going to defend and counter attack,” the former Portugal coach said.