Son to face national squad teammates
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Koo Ja-cheol
By Kwon Ji-youn
South Korean striker Son Heung-min is set to face off with fellow national squad teammates Koo Ja-cheol and Park Joo-ho in a Bundesliga showdown this weekend.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen and 1. FSV Mainz 05 will clash Saturday at the Coface Arena in Mainz, Germany, in a Matchday 28 meeting. Leverkusen striker Son will hope to extend his recent scoring run after netting twice against SC Paderborn 07 last month following his hat trick against VfL Wolfsburg in February.
Having sat out the DFB-Pokal quarterfinal against FC Bayern Munich with a suspension, Son is well rested and ready to rebound from his mediocre performances in South Korea’s friendlies against Uzbekistan and New Zealand.
A repeat of his performances against Paderborn and Wolfsburg this weekend could make him the top scoring Korean in a single Bundesliga season. Son has 16 goals under his belt this season ― 10 in the league, one in the DFB-Pokal and five in Europe. Former Suwon Samsung manager and Korea’s legendary footballer Cha Bum-kun recorded 19 goals throughout the 1985-86 season.
Standing in Son’s way are his compatriots Koo and Park.
Koo, who scored the decisive goal for Mainz against FC Augsburg last month, is prepared to show Son he is not the only Korean star in the Bundesliga.
The South Korean captain, whose header at the South Korea-Uzbekistan friendly gave the home team an early lead, failed to score in Mainz’s clash against SV Werder Bremen on April 4, but was a threat until he was replaced in the 86th minute. Mainz fullback Park also started and put up a strong performance throughout the game.
Swansea City’s Ki Sung-yueng meanwhile has a testing game against Everton at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, Wales, on Saturday. Ki, who scored the opening goal against Hull City on April 4, holds the record for most goals in a Premier League season by a Korean. Ki now has seven to his name.
Crystal Palace’s Lee Chung-yong will be up against Sunderland. helmed by former South Korean national football team manager Dick Advocaat, Saturday. Lee, who is recovering from a shin injury, may be used as a substitute.