Nine games without an open-play goal at LAFC, and Korea's head coach Hong Myung-bo is not losing sleep. "Given his body of work to this point, I am not concerned," Hong said Tuesday at MK Dons' training ground ahead of this weekend's friendly against Ivory Coast. That's either genuine faith in his captain — or a coach doing what coaches do before a squad announcement.
Son has one goal to his name this MLS season, and it came from the spot. For a player who built his reputation on runs in behind, late arrivals into the box, and an almost metronomic knack for goals in big moments, the lack of open-play output is a real flag. Not a crisis yet, but a flag. And with the World Cup less than three months away, the timing is uncomfortable.
A position change could be coming
What makes the situation more interesting is that Hong is already floating a tactical reshuffling. Oh Hyeon-gyu at Besiktas and Cho Gue-sung at FC Midtjylland are both in form, which means Son may be pushed to the wing rather than leading the line or operating as a second striker. Whether that frees him up or marginalizes him depends entirely on how Korea's system actually functions — and these two friendlies are the only real test before the tournament group stage against Mexico, South Africa, and a European playoff winner in June.
Son has also been under the weather this week, which Hong acknowledged. A sick player reshuffled into a new role for a team with almost no warm-up time before a World Cup isn't exactly an ideal combination.
Injury updates on Lee Kang-in and Castrop
There's more to manage beyond Son. Lee Kang-in, PSG's creative hub, picked up a foot injury but Hong says it's less serious than initially feared — though they're not rushing him back. Jens Castrop of Borussia Mönchengladbach has a swollen foot with no ligament damage and is being assessed day by day.
- Lee Kang-in (PSG) — foot injury, being monitored, not expected to be rushed
- Jens Castrop (Borussia Mönchengladbach) — foot swelling, no ligament damage, could miss Ivory Coast match
For a squad that needs cohesion and confidence heading into a World Cup, two injury doubts in midfield and a captain trying to rediscover his scoring touch is not the profile you want. Hong's calm demeanour may be warranted — Son is too good a player for this to last forever — but Korea's World Cup odds rest heavily on whether the 32-year-old arrives in June resembling the Spurs Son or the LAFC Son.
"Winning these matches will be really important," Hong said. He's not wrong. These friendlies are auditions as much as preparation.
