When push came to shove for Korea against Oman in their World Cup qualifier Tuesday night in Muscat, three of the country’s biggest stars came through.
Son Heung-min, captain for both the national team and Tottenham Hotspur, scored the go-ahead goal in Korea’s 3-1 victory at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, the country’s first win in the third round of the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Son assisted Korea’s two other goals, including the opener by Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
And for the second straight match, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in was the creative engine for Korea’s offense. He set up Son’s goal with some highly-skilled work just outside the box.
Hwang opened the scoring when the match was just 10 minutes old, thanks to Son’s nifty setup following a throw-in. It was exactly the kind of early offense Korea needed, on the heels of their goalless draw against Palestine to begin the third round last Thursday in Seoul.
And for the first 30 or so minutes of the match, Korea looked to be in complete control. But the momentum gradually turned, as Oman 한국을 started poking holes through the opposing defense and the visitors noticeably slowed down in the sweltering conditions in Oman.
Korean defender Jung Seung-hyun was charged with an own goal off a free kick in the dying moments of the first half, and it killed the momentum the Taegeuk Warriors had built.
Korea tried to re-establish their presence in the second half. Son was initially awarded a penalty in the 51st minute after getting tripped up by Amjad Al-Harthi, but the call by referee Ma Ning was overturned following a lengthy video review.
Lee then tried to take matters into his own hands, firing consecutive left-footed shots from the right side of the box around the hour mark.
With the score still knotted at 1-1 and the clock striking the 82nd minute, Lee did what he does best: setting up a teammate for a scoring chance with his combination of skill, creativity and vision.
Surrounded by multiple Oman players outside the box, Lee threaded a pass to Son. Five defenders collapsed on Son, who still managed to find the shooting lane for his patented, left-footed shot that found the bottom left corner.