Tearful Son Heung-min apologizes after South Korea’s loss at Asian Cup

What happened: South Korea lost to Jordan 2-0 at the AFC Asian Cup semifinals at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, west of Doha, on Tuesday. Jordanian forward Yazan Al-Naimat scored the first goal, while right winger Mousa Al-Tamari secured victory with a second goal.

The South Korean men’s national soccer team, known as the Taegeuk Warriors, has been aiming to win their first AFC title since 1960. Their next shot will be in 2027 in Saudi Arabia.

What he said: Son apologized to their fans following the loss. Fighting back tears, he told reporters that they all did their best but made “mistakes led to this kind of result.”

“I am terribly sorry that we didn’t live up to their expectations,” Son said. “I will try to get better as a player and also help our national team take the next step.”

Words for the team: Son also gave words of encouragement for Jurgen Klinsmann, saying he believes the German head coach “will be hardened by this experience” and that he “will build an even better squad.” Klinsmann has reportedly been receiving criticism from fans and the media since taking the job last March.

Son also thanked the Taegeuk Warriors players. “Even though we didn’t get the result we wanted, I am still very grateful. I hope an experience such as this will help those guys grow in the future,” he said.

What’s next: The Tottenham Hotspur football star is set to return to London and prepare for their team’s match against Brighton in the Premiere League on Saturday. Taegeuk Warriors fans, on the other hand, can look forward to the team’s return at the FIFA World Cup in 2026.