Heung-min Son ends World Cup 2022 malaise with clutch moment in South Korea’s surprise triumph

Heung-min Son has had a quiet World Cup. In truth, the Tottenham forward is lucky to even be here, having undergone surgery on a fractured eye socket only last month.

Playing masked, he has for the most part been only a mild imitation of the electrifying force known to regular watchers of the Premier League.

But as the fourth official’s board raised for six added minutes here, and a Portugal corner was cleared into open grass, he set off as few others can.

Racing alone towards the Portuguese box he paused, hesitant it seemed, smart it turned out, waiting for the run of substitute Hwang Hee-chan who swept home to send South Korea into dreamland and the round of 16.

Twenty years ago, Korea and Japan shared the hosting rights for a World Cup but in Qatar, clearly, they have shared a formula, the Taegeuk Warriors following the Blue Samurai’s lead of 24 hours earlier in coming from a goal down to beat a European power 2-1 and secure unlikely passage into the knockout round.

There were brief celebrations at the whistle, before Korean substitutes relayed the message that, across this small country at Al Janoub, another Uruguayan goal against Ghana still had the potential to break hearts. Players and staff huddled in the centre-circle, glued to one phone and a stream no doubt several minutes behind reality as the tension dragged on. In the end, it was a roar from the Korean end that broke the happy news first.

Portugal were never likely to be the story here, now through in top spot despite defeat and, in all likelihood, set to avoid an unwanted early meeting with Brazil. This was further of evidence, though, of quite how hard it is to win three group matches in a row, the Brazilians now the only side still capable of the feat.

With qualification assured, Fernando Santos took the opportunity to rest key men in Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva, but keeping Cristiano Ronaldo in the side, more likely an indicator of the striker’s insatiable lust for goals than his expendability.

Inside five minutes they led. Pepe, 20 years the senior of teenage centre-back partner Antonio Silva, lifted a accurate ball out to the right, where Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot pulled back for Ricardo Horta to steer home.

It was a fine moment for the Braga forward, a rare beast in this squad having never played for any of the Portuguese big three clubs, nor any of Europe’s renowned giants abroad. Horta had won his first cap as a teenager back in 2014, then had to wait almost eight years for a recall and his second this summer.

Korea had trailed by two goals in their last game against Ghana before battling back to level but set about their response with more urgency here.

On 27 minutes, a corner was swung in and Ronaldo, seemingly well-placed to head clear, bizarrely cowed and turned his back, deflecting the ball instead towards his own goal. In his Real Madrid days, Ronaldo had once riled Atletico players in a derby by playing an audacious pass off his back, but the Koreans had few complaints here as Kim Young-gwon stretched to equalise.

Ronaldo flung his arms around in annoyance but quite at whom it was directed was unclear. It did not take Adidas sensors, nor snickometer to identify the culprit and a chorus of Lionel Messi’s name from the Korean fans soon afterwards was their way of expressing gratitude.

With Uruguay by now two to the good against Ghana, Korea’s task was clear, another goal enough to send them through so long as the South American side did not extend their lead.

Son found a rare bit of space in behind on the hour but saw his shot blocked from the angle, then drove from inside his own half but wasted the break trying to go it alone. This, you assumed, was the preamble and perhaps expecting the surely inevitable Korean charge, Santos hooked a less-than-pleased Ronaldo to introduce fresh legs.

Referee Facundo Tello, perhaps not quite across the permutations, gave keeper Kim Seung-gyu the hurry-up over every goal-kick, as if he might be running down the clock.

It was Korea on whom time seemed to be expiring, until the latest and most dramatic finish yet of this remarkable group stage.