[골닷컴] Reporter Dong-Ho Kim = Coach Antonio Conte mentioned the possibility of free kick kicker Heung-Min Son.
Recently, Son Heung-Min has been showing the peak of his free kick sense. In the match between Korea and Costa Rica on the 23rd, Son Heung-min led the team to a 2-2 draw with a free kick goal in the 40th minute of the second half.
Heung-Min Son had already broken the goal net with a free kick twice in the June A game. He scored free kicks against Chile and Paraguay, respectively. Heung-min Son, who is currently scoring 4 goals from free kicks in Match A, is tied for the top scorer in free kick scoring history with Ajou University coach Ha Seok-joo. If they score one more goal from a free kick, they will go solo in front.
There are increasing calls for Son Heung-min to take a free kick not only in the national team but also in his team, Tottenham. Tottenham’s free kickers are Harry Kane and Eric Dier. However, their success rate is not high.
If you look at the statistics collected since the 2017-18 season, Kane did not score a single goal in 44 free kick attempts. Now for Manchester United, Christian Eriksen has scored two goals in 35 attempts and Dier has no goals in 15 attempts. Tottenham have only scored 4 goals from 124 free kick opportunities.
In this case, the opinion is that it is better for Son Heung-min to take the free kick. ‘The Athletic’ advised, “It would be better to kick a free kick for Son Heung-min.” In addition, Heung-Min Son can kick left and right feet, and is usually good at shooting from long distances. Heung-Min Son currently only plays as a corner kicker.
In this situation, coach Conte started to clear the traffic. In a press conference on the 29th (Korea time), coach Conte was asked about the possibility of Son Heung-min taking a free kick.
He said, “Heung-Min Son is one of three players who have to take set pieces. Other than that, Kane and Dyer. Heung-Min Son definitely has a lot of confidence because he scored.”
It was coach Conte who suggested that Son Heung-min might get a chance as a free-kick taker. Tottenham Hotspur will play a North London derby against Arsenal on the 1st, and it is worth noting whether Son Heung-min will take a free kick.
