Son Heung-min passes Cha Bum-kun with 59th goal, South Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0
Version 2: The match has now finished: South Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0, Kyunghyang Shinmun reporting Oh Se-hun scored the second goal, and Son Heung-min gave post-match comments in which he said records are made to be broken and hoped younger players would pass his.
In short
Son Heung-min scored his 59th international goal from a free kick in South Korea’s friendly against Uzbekistan at Yongin Mir Stadium, passing Cha Bum-kun’s 58 to become the country’s leading men’s scorer. South Korea won 2-0, with Kyunghyang Shinmun reporting Oh Se-hun scored the second goal in the second half. The goal came on Son’s 151st cap.
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Son Heung-min scored his 59th international goal from a free kick to pass Cha Bum-kun’s 58 and become the leading scorer in the history of the South Korean men’s national team, and South Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0 at Yongin Mir Stadium. Newsis, Chosun Ilbo, the Seoul Shinmun, Maeil Business, the Hankook Ilbo, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Yonhap all reported that the record goal came from a free kick. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 23 , 26 , 31 , 33 ]
Newsis reported that Son curled a shot that struck an opponent’s hand to win the free kick and then converted it himself with a low shot towards the right corner. Maeil Business put the opening goal in the sixth minute of the first half with the score at 0-0, while the Hankook Ilbo said the free kick came in the fifth minute. The goal came on Son’s 151st cap, against Cha’s 58 goals in 136 appearances. Maeil Business and the Hankook Ilbo said the overall South Korean record, including women’s players, belongs to Ji So-yun with 76 goals in 182 caps, while CBS NoCut News said she has 75 goals in 175 caps. [ 9 , 10 , 13 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 24 , 26 , 31 ]
South Korea led 1-0 at halftime, according to Newsis and Yonhap. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that Oh Se-hun scored a second-half goal to seal the 2-0 win. Newsis and CBS NoCut News said the September–October window finished with two wins, one draw and one loss, after a 3-0 win over Ecuador, a 1-4 loss to Uruguay and a 0-0 draw with Venezuela. Chosun Ilbo reported that South Korea are ranked 32nd in the world and Uzbekistan 59th. [ 2 , 9 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 18 , 19 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 30 , 31 , 33 ]
After the match Son told a broadcaster that he was happier about closing South Korea’s last home fixture of the year with a win for the fans than about the personal record. “My emotions are welling up a lot,” he was quoted as saying, adding that “what matters is not only my goals but the 16 years together”. He also said records “are made to be broken” and that he hoped younger players would break his quickly, calling Cha Bum-kun a great figure. [ 24 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]
Newsis reported that Son’s first international goal came on January 18, 2011, against India in the group stage of the Asian Cup in Qatar, his third cap, and that 5,740 days — about 15 years and eight months — passed between that goal and the record. Newsis, citing the Korea Football Association, said the record was set 47 years, 9 months and 21 days — 17,461 days — after Cha’s record goal against China at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games. Maeil Business put Son’s combined official goals for club and country at 301, listing 20 for Hamburg, 29 for Bayer Leverkusen, 173 for Tottenham Hotspur and 20 for Los Angeles FC. [ 9 , 10 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 26 ]
Before the Uzbekistan match, Son had equalled Cha’s 58 goals in the September 28 loss to Uruguay and drawn a blank in the October 2 draw with Venezuela. CBS NoCut News noted that Cha’s record included goals from 1976 Olympic qualifiers and that his FIFA-approved tally was 55. Yonhap described the record as coming about 48 years after Cha’s mark. [ 9 , 17 , 26 , 28 ]
Why it matters
The record makes Son the most prolific scorer in the history of the South Korean men’s national team, ending a mark Cha Bum-kun had held for decades, and it was carried as breaking news across every outlet in these documents. It also closed South Korea’s September–October international window under interim coach Roberto Moreno on a win, after two defeats and a draw in the preceding matches.
Key facts
- Son Heung-min scored his 59th international goal and passed Cha Bum-kun’s 58 for the South Korean men’s record. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 23 , 26 , 31 , 33 ]
- The record goal came from a free kick. [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 24 , 26 , 31 ]
- South Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0 at Yongin Mir Stadium. [ 19 , 23 , 24 , 26 , 31 , 33 ]
- Son started in a two-man attack alongside Oh Se-hun. [ 2 , 9 , 13 , 18 , 24 ]
- The goal came on Son’s 151st appearance for the national team. [ 10 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 26 ]
- South Korea finished the September–October window with two wins, one draw and one loss. [ 24 , 26 , 30 , 31 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that Oh Se-hun scored the second goal in the second half. [ 23 , 25 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Son Heung-min scored his 59th international goal and passed Cha Bum-kun’s 58 to become the leading scorer in South Korean men’s football. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 23 , 26 , 31 , 33 ]
- The record goal came from a free kick. [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 24 , 26 , 31 ]
- South Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0. [ 19 , 23 , 24 , 26 , 31 , 33 ]
- South Korea led Uzbekistan 1-0 at halftime. [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 20 ]
- Son started in a two-man attack alongside Oh Se-hun. [ 2 , 9 , 13 , 18 , 24 ]
- The goal came on Son’s 151st cap, against Cha’s 58 goals in 136 appearances. [ 10 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 26 ]
- South Korea finished the September–October international window with two wins, one draw and one loss. [ 24 , 26 , 30 , 31 ]
Still unclear
- The minute of Son’s goal is reported differently, from the fourth to the sixth minute of the first half. Newsis, Maeil Business, the Hankook Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo give different minutes for the free kick and the goal, and the documents do not resolve which is correct.
- The scorer of South Korea’s second goal is attributed to Oh Se-hun by a single outlet. Only Kyunghyang Shinmun names the scorer of South Korea’s second goal, and Newsis reported the 2-0 lead at 21:34 without saying who scored it.
- Cha Bum-kun’s record total is reported differently. CBS NoCut News said Cha’s record included goals from 1976 Olympic qualifiers and that his FIFA-approved tally was 55, while other outlets cite 58 without that qualification.
- Ji So-yun’s record total is reported differently. Maeil Business and the Hankook Ilbo give Ji So-yun 76 goals in 182 caps, while CBS NoCut News gives her 75 goals in 175 caps.
- The reason for Kim Min-jae’s absence is not stated. Yonhap alone reported that he was left out of the squad entirely after missing team training following the Venezuela match, without giving a cause.
- The timing of the second goal is not given. The documents report the final result but not details of Uzbekistan’s play in the second half or the timing of the second goal.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports that Son Heung-min is in the starting lineup against Uzbekistan, one goal short of the record. [ 2 ]
- Kick-off between South Korea and Uzbekistan at Yongin Mir Stadium. [ 2 , 9 ]
- Newsis reports that Son has passed Cha Bum-kun for the men’s scoring record. [ 3 ]
- Yonhap issues a first-flash report on Son’s 59th goal. [ 4 ]
- Newsis reports the halftime score: South Korea 1-0 Uzbekistan. [ 11 ]
- Yonhap reports South Korea leading Uzbekistan 1-0 at halftime through Son’s record goal. [ 12 ]
- Seoul Shinmun reports South Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0. [ 19 ]
- Newsis reports Son’s post-match comments thanking fans and teammates. [ 24 ]
- Newsis reports the record was set 47 years, 9 months and 21 days after Cha’s last record goal, citing the Korea Football Association. [ 26 ]