Son Heung-min apologised after his South Korean side exited the World Cup following a sobering 4-1 defeat to favorites Brazil in the last 16 in Qatar. The captain and talisman was powerless as Brazil scored four times in the first half on Monday, before Paik Seung-ho netted a 76th-minute consolation for the outclassed Koreans.Samba de Janeiro! Brazil dance their way to the quarter-final as they batter South KoreaSouth Korea have still never won a World Cup knockout tie outside of their home country.”I can only apologise to our fans for not living up to their expectations. We did our best but I think we played a very difficult game. Still, there is no doubt that all the players battled proudly, devoted themselves and worked hard to get this far. The players and staff really did their best to prepare for this match, so I hope you understand” said the 30-year-old Tottenham forward, who played in a mask in Qatar following facial surgery last month.o son e o richarlison. 🥺 pic.twitter.com/ibI79n49uG— sam havilliard (@darklingscars) December 5, 2022 South Korea coach Paulo Bento announced in the immediate aftermath of the heavy defeat that he would not be staying on, but said he couldn’t be more proud of the players and their achievement. His resignation didn’t come due to the result, but a pre-planned move. “Our participation ended here and now it’s time to think about the future, which won’t go through the Korea national team. I’m going to rest and then I’ll see what I’ll do. I just communicated it to the players, to the president, it’s a decision I’ve taken since September. Today I ended up just confirming it and thanking everything they did and everything they gave” he said.##NAJAVA_MECA_6871357##Son, who failed to score at the tournament and showed only fleeting glimpses of his best form, said he was sorry to see the boss go.”I never once had any doubt about the style of football he pursued. A lot of people had reservations about it but they all cheered for us when we played well at the World Cup here. We were able to execute things we’d worked on for the last four years. It’s really sad to see him go” Son told the media.
