ZOMBIE TABLE TENNIS?
As the talisman for South Korea in their ill-fated Asian Cup campaign, Son Heung-min has had a difficult start to 2024. After a group stage in which the Taeguk Warriors drew with Jordan (world ranking: 87) and Malaysia (130) to scramble through in second place, it was their captain who fronted up for the traditional mid-tournament squabble with assorted hacks. “We are working very hard on the pitch. We are trying to give everything for the fans, for the country,” Son roared. “Some of the boys are being criticised or receiving comments that at times cross the line a little.” A disjointed team managed at arm’s length by Jürgen Klinsmann, South Korea then found a kind of anti-momentum, ‘zombie football’ helping them find a way past Saudi Arabia and Australia. As other big names crashed out, Son’s side looked set to ‘do an Ivory Coast’ before even Ivory Coast had done so. But much like Peter Andre in the mid-noughties, they couldn’t escape Jordan, who beat them 2-0 in a miserable semi-final rematch.
