Super Son saves Korea in 3-2 win over Qatar

South Korea’s Son Heung-min celebrates after scoring the decisive goal against Qatar at the 2018 World Cup qualifier football match at Suwon World Cup Stadium, Thursday. South Korea defeated Qatar 3-2. / Yonhap

By John Duerden

Son Heung-min did it again and this time in Korea when it mattered. The attacker has been one of the stars of the English Premier League season and scored his sixth goal in six games on Thursday to give Korea a vital 3-2 win over Qatar in the final round of qualifications for the 2018 World Cup.

The win gives Korea seven points from three games and looking good to finish in one of the top two positions in Group A that will grant automatic qualification to Russia in 2018.

Before the game, the home team had been talking of the importance of scoring first. This is always important of course but against some nations from West Asia, it can nip any blatant acts of time-wasting in the bud. Yet the early goal came but then so did Qatar.

Ki Sung-yeung’s low shot from outside the area after 11 minutes was the perfect start. It was crisp and accurate, rolling into the far corner.

Seconds later, the English Premier League star almost scored again but this time Saad Al Sheeb made the save and this time Qatar equalized immediately. Hong Jeong-ho fouled Sebastian Soria in the area and Hasan Al Haydos’s penalty was emphatic.

The goal seemed to take the belief and energy out of the host. Korea suddenly looked short of ideas and creativity. With Qatar’s counter-attacks revealing familiar failings in the defense, there was much for coach Stielike to consider.

If the German expected a chance to talk to his players at half-time with the score-line still 1-1 then he was mistaken. Just before the break Qatar broke at speed and it ended with Soria shooting past Kim Seung-gyu from close range.

It was not looking good. Stielike’s answer for the second-half did not seem especially imaginative as he replaced Suk Hyun-jun in attack with the bigger Kim Shin-wook. But it worked. Kim has been in good form of late and after 56 minutes won a header in the area for Ji Dong-won to shoot home.

Within a minute, Son gave Korean fans a taste of what he has been doing in the English Premier League. He curled home a shot around the goalkeeper to send the Suwon World Cup Stadium wild with delight.

Just as the home fans were starting to enjoy themselves Hong Jeong-ho was sent off midway through the second half for a second bookable offense. Naturally, it invited sustained Qatari pressure.

But Korea held firm for a very important three points.

There is more hard work ahead for the Taeguk Warriors who travel to Tehran for another vital clash against old rivals Iran, Tuesday.