October 15, (THEWILL) — South Korea’s captain, Son Heung-min, was presented with a commemorative jersey at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Tuesday, after becoming his nation’s most-capped player. The 33-year-old LAFC forward reached 137 appearances during Friday’s match against Brazil, surpassing the previous record of 136 caps held jointly by current manager, Hong Myung-bo, and former striker, Cha Bum-kun.
The Korea Football Association organised a ceremony before the Paraguay fixture, presenting Son with a special kit that marked the historic achievement. A video montage celebrating the captain’s finest international moments was also shown to the home crowd, honouring a career that began when he made his debut at just 18 years old in 2010.
South Korea defeated Paraguay 2-0, though Son did not add to his tally of 53 international goals. The hosts performed strongly against a Paraguay side that had held Japan to a 2-2 draw earlier in the week, with Son’s teammates providing the decisive strikes.
The forward now returns to Los Angeles having made a significant impact since his August arrival in Major League Soccer. Son has registered eight goals and three assists for LAFC, helping the club climb to third in the Western Conference with just two defeats in their last 11 league matches, though one came during his international absence when Austin FC won 1-0 on October 12.
LAFC complete their regular season against Colorado Rapids on Saturday, October 18 before entering the MLS Cup playoffs. Manager Steve Cherundolo’s side are considered strong contenders for the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, aiming to claim only their second MLS Cup title in the club’s history.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
