Postecoglou Son Heung-min, praise every game
Mar 14, 2025
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Tottenham won 3-1 in the second round of the Europa League round of 16 against AZ Alkmaar at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on the afternoon of the 13th (local time). Tottenham advanced to the quarterfinals with a 3-2 total victory in the first and second games.
Son Heung-min showed great performance, including one assist. He was involved in the first and third goals, as well as the second goal he scored.
After the game, Coach Postecoglou said, `Son Heung-min puts everything into every game. He raved, "I play really hard for the team."
◇Q&A with Director Enzi Postecoglou
-I'm sure you were very satisfied with the approach the team showed in today's game?**?
▶Yes, I really liked the way the players took on the challenge today. It's not easy to start with a 1-0 deficit before the start of the game. I didn't want to give an additional advantage to my opponent, and I think I solved it calmly and calmly from the beginning of the game. It didn't create many chances, but it almost locked the opponent in its own camp and kept him away from even getting close to our goal.
We scored a good goal through pressure, we started the second half as perfectly as we wanted, we scored. However, after making a mistake, he lost one goal to the opponent, and the game became tense again. Nevertheless, the players responded well, scored additional goals, and I think they could have scored one or two more goals to end the game.
It's a shame that I didn't handle the last 10 minutes well. However, I had to change my defense several times during the game, and it was a big moment, so the flow was somewhat cut off. But at every critical moment, the players dealt with it well, and I'm very happy that I made it to the quarterfinals through today's victory.
-Experienced players led the team, but young players like Wilson and Lucas also made impressive performances.**.
▶Yes, it was a great performance. It means a lot to both our team and the club. As I have said over and over again, we have highly anticipated prospects. Lucas is growing steadily, and Wilson is gradually showing what kind of player he is. There have been a lot of bad luck with him this season, but he's still improving his form.
I think the whole team dealt with it well in today's game. Romero and Mickey held the defense firmly, and while they were there, the opponent failed to create a threatening scene. Thanks to this, the team looked more solid, and there were a number of positives.
-Son Heung-min ran constantly, right?**?
▶Son Heung-min puts everything into every game. He plays really hard for the team. I created a few good opportunities today, some scenes that weren't lucky, and I could have finished in a critical situation. But today's game was done with the efforts of the whole team.
Someone said that for the first time since October, all four leaders, Vicario, Romero, Madison, and Son Heung-min, played. This season we often had to rely on one or two of them. But all four of us playing together makes a big difference. And I think they all led the team well in today's game.
-Do you think the team is back to what it was today?**?
▶Yes, this is no coincidence. Of course, the team's appearance will be revived because key players are returning. Players have the right recovery time between games and can make tactical changes.
Son Heung-min and Madison did not start in the weekend's game. These choices help us prepare the team properly. Of course, there are still areas to improve. Some players, including Romero, Mickey, Wilson and Dominic, are still in the process of fully regaining their sense of play. Fortunately, we have about three and a half weeks until the quarterfinals, so we have a chance to boost the players' physical condition until then.
-Given these things, did you have more expectations for the rest of the season?**?
▶I have always maintained a positive attitude, and I continue to have hope. My mood is not dictated by external factors, but by internal factors. And I've said it consistently. We can compete with any team if we are at our best.
Now we're in the process of bringing some players back to the game. There are still outstanding players who need to come back from injury, and if they do, it will go a long way to get to the level we want.
-How do you rate James Maddison's performance?**?
▶It's been great all night. It seemed like the leaders of the team felt 'It's time for us to step up. This season has been a really difficult time for them and for our team as a whole.
Madison gave us the right choice when we needed to, and he played for the team with dedication. That posture was really important. Now we have a harder core as key players come back, and at the same time we can replace players who can influence the game. That was important in today's game.
-Wilson scored his first goal, how important do you think it means for his growth? And why did you use him as a starter?**?
▶ Considering how hard Wilson has worked, I'm really happy for him. If you saw his performance today, I don't think you need to explain why he used him as a starter.
I had high expectations since I recruited him. He has a great ability to break through one-on-one, a talent for finding space, and he's technically great. But this season has not been an easy time for him due to his injury. After moving to a big club, I didn't get as many opportunities as I expected.
But this is his starting point. Still in the process of regaining a sense of play, but along with Lucas, Archie, and a few other young players, they are really promising prospects.
-The third goal looked like a typical Postecoglou style goal. I think you must have been in a good mood.**?
▶Yes, every goal is important, but especially the goals from the pattern play we've been preparing for are even more meaningful. We train really hard to create scenes like that. Players also gain trust through the process.
Today's game will be a good foundation for further development in the future. We still have a lot to improve, but the players are getting better. I'm very happy with the players, and they deserved to win. Now we are in the quarterfinals of the European tournament, and we have a very interesting challenge ahead.
-There were a lot of important games this season, but today was especially a game with a lot of pressure. Will winning in those situations also help the game going forward?**?
▶Yes, I think the way we played today was important. Trying to cut off the outside noise and pressure, but both the players and the club knew how important today's game was.
If you start the game when you're already 1-0 down, you might get nervous, but I didn't feel that energy. Until we lost a point, the players ran the game brilliantly and showed strong performance and aggressive attitude.
Mickey's replacement slightly changed the flow, and the tension of the game increased as he gave the opponent a goal, but overall, the players handled it well. Winning such an important game will give the players great confidence.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
