Cha Bum-kun says Son's impact went beyond goals in World Cup opener

MEXICO CITY — Cha Bum-kun, the former Korea national team coach and one of the greatest Asian footballers of all time, on Sunday dismissed criticism of Son Heung-min's performance in Korea's World Cup opener against the Czech Republic.

“As Korea sought opportunities from deeper areas due to the height advantage of the Czech Republic’s players, the lone striker was left with little choice but to fight a lonely battle up front,” Cha said. “Son struggled to receive quick support from his teammates during the match against the Czech Republic.”

Son of Los Angeles FC started in Korea's FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against the Czech Republic on Thursday in local time. He registered a team-high six shots but failed to score and was substituted in the 69th minute.

The Athletic wrote that Son’s “instincts which served him for a decade in north London appeared to be on the wane” in its reporting on Friday.

Some fans also questioned whether age had begun to affect the 33-year-old Son’s performance.

Cha — who spent much of his own playing career as a lone striker for both Korea and in the German league — said Son's presence is enough to make him the player that opponents fear most.

“I was often tightly marked by opponents, but when I moved, that opened space for my teammates,” Cha said. “By moving constantly, he pulled defenders’ attention away and created confusion, which allowed his teammates to find chances.”

Cha added that the opposing defenders’ focus, which had been concentrated solely on Son, began to dissipate after he was substituted.

Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu of FC Tokyo, who preserved Korea's 2-1 victory with two crucial saves against the Czech Republic, also singled out Son as one of the team's unsung heroes in a YouTube video from the Korea Football Association.

“Heung-min must have had a really tough game,” Kim said. “In the first half, we played a lot of long balls into the space behind the defense, and because Heung-min ran so much on both sides of the ball, the Czech defenders wore down much more quickly.”

Son, meanwhile, deflected praise.

“It was all thanks to my teammates — [Hwang] In-beom, [Oh] Hyeon-gyu, [Kim] Seung-gyu and everyone else,” Son said. “I didn't do anything special.”

His teammates, however, were quick to acknowledge the captain's contribution.

Center back Kim Min-jae of FC Bayern Munich tapped Son on his back while returning the captain's armband after the match in a gesture of appreciation and respect.

Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain also credited Son. "The win was possible because Heung-min kept drawing defenders toward him," Lee said.

Even the Czech Republic’s head coach Miroslav Koubek acknowledged the challenge posed by Son.

“When Son dropped deep to receive the ball, it was difficult to stop him,” Koubek said.

Cha’s focus is now shifting to Korea's second group-stage match against host nation Mexico set for Thursday in local time and Friday in Korean time.

Offering words of encouragement to his successor, Cha said Son should feel less burdened after opening the tournament with a win.

"Son must have felt tremendous pressure because of the expectations surrounding him, but now that he has won the opening match, he can let go of that burden,” Cha said. “The freer he plays, the more space he will create for his teammates — and the more opportunities he will create for himself."

Cha, who correctly predicted Korea's 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic, forecast a 2-2 draw against Mexico.

“I hope Son Heung-min finds the net in the next match,” Cha added.

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BY PARK LIN [[email protected]]