SEOUL, Sept 6 — South Korean skipper Son Heung-min said he would take on more shooting opportunities instead of trying to set up his team mates after they were held to a surprise 0-0 draw with Iraq in last week’s World Cup qualifier in Seoul.
The Koreans, who play Lebanon in Suwon tomorrow, are third in Group A of Asian qualifiers, with only the top two sides qualifying directly for the 2022 World Cup.
“I understand the criticism that I didn’t take enough shots and I have to address that,” Tottenham Hotspur forward Son, who has scored 27 international goals, told reporters.
“I’ll try to be more selfish in that regard. Sometimes things don’t quite go the way I want them to but I’ll continue to work on it.
“It’s not as if I was intent on not shooting the ball. I just didn’t have that many opportunities. There were times when I thought my shot would be blocked by the defence and I’d be better off passing the ball to a team mate.”
Iraq were happy to sit back and play for the draw and Son said they would have to find ways to pick apart packed defences.
“We have to do a better job exploiting small space and recognising such space when we get it,” Son added. “We have to make quicker and stronger passes.” — Reuters
