On June 25, in the third round of the FIFA World Cup group stage, South Korea faced South Africa. South Korea lost the match 0-1. After the game, South Korea captain Son was interviewed.
On the match
"When a match doesn't go well, it's naturally frustrating. The result is disappointing, and it's normal for players to feel down. In this situation, I'm more disappointed than anyone else."
"What else can I say? First of all, watching the team lose makes me feel very regretful because I couldn't contribute much on the field."
"This is truly an ironic situation. I don't know whether to call it regret or failure. We didn't want to rely on other groups' results to advance as a third-place team. Many players gave their all, but the result wasn't satisfactory, which is disappointing. Since the result is beyond our control, we can only accept it."
On being a substitute
"When watching from the bench, I kept thinking about how I could better help the team. Playing is difficult, and watching from the sidelines is also agonizing. So instead of saying much, I tried to offer some simple advice."
On the hot weather
"No impact. We're not the only team playing in these conditions. Since everyone is playing under the same conditions, we can't blame the weather."
"I think we need to take a comprehensive look at what exactly went wrong."
On the team atmosphere
"There are no problems. The players obviously tried their best, so when the results aren't ideal, everyone feels very disappointed, regretful, and frustrated. I feel the same way. Everyone is frustrated, but there are absolutely no issues with the team atmosphere."
On the coach's instructions
"There were no specific instructions. Although I've played in other positions, I know exactly where I should play and how to play, so I always understand my role when I come on."
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