Halftime appearance, full-throttle performance: Kim Min-su electrifies Warriors in loss to Uruguay
The 20-year-old who plies his trade for Rangers came on at halftime and made an immediate impact that reversed the dismal run of play in the 4-1 drubbing.
Korean midfielder Kim Min-su, right, competes for a ball during a friendly match against Uruguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Sept. 28.KIM JONG-HO
There were many takeaways for the Taeguk Warriors from a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Uruguay on Monday night, but one of the brightest spots was Rangers midfielder Kim Min-su.
Korea completely lost the plot in the first half of the friendly at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul, prompting interim manager Robert Moreno to bring the 20-year-old on at halftime with the score at 3-0 for the visitors. His presence contributed to a more disciplined, attacking football.
The midfielder made his presence felt three minutes after the restart. He got on the end of a pass from Son Heung-min on the left, cut toward the middle and ripped a right-footed shot across goal that the goalkeeper pushed behind for a corner, the sort of explosive effort he has produced for the Scottish club.
Kim’s persistence was on full display midway through the second half as he charged straight into three heavy challenges and emerged victorious before drawing a foul.
He kept up the tenacity until the final whistle, giving the side an edge that was clearly missing in the first half, finishing the match with four successful dribbles out of seven attempts and a pass completion rate of 88 percent. The football analysis site FotMob gave Kim a 7.0 rating, the third-highest of the side behind only Son at 8.1 and Lee Kang-in at 7.4.
“Despite South Korea eventually falling to a 4-1 defeat, Min-su’s electrifying 45-minute cameo stole the spotlight, drawing glowing praise from Korean commentators and supporters alike,” Rangers News reported Monday.
Korean midfielder Kim Min-su, center, competes for a ball during a friendly match against Uruguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Sept. 28.NEWS1
Kim received his first senior Korea call-up for the four friendly matches across September and October. He played 15 minutes against Ecuador on Thursday before seeing his playing time increase sharply against Uruguay.
His career started at Girona’s youth setup in Spain in 2022, before making his professional debut in 2024. He recorded six goals and four assists for second-tier Andorra last season before joining Scottish powerhouse Rangers for 10 million euros ($11.3 million) last summer and taking the No. 10 shirt.
He missed out on the final squad for the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, but his rapid development since then has thrust him into the competition for a starting spot.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
