S. Korea blank Jordan without Son Heung-min in World Cup qualifying match

South Korea defeated Jordan 2-0 in a World Cup qualifying match in Amman on Thursday without captain Son Heung-min, avenging a loss to their Middle Eastern foe at the top continental tournament eight months ago.

Midfielder Lee Jae-sung headed home the opener in the 38th minute at Amman International Stadium in the Jordanian capital, before substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu netted his first international goal in the 68th minute of the teams’ Group B match of the third round in the Asian World Cup qualification tournament.

South Korea improved to seven points to momentarily move to the top of the group, with Iraq, sitting at four points, scheduled to host Palestine later Thursday.

Jordan had defeated South Korea 2-0 in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in Qatar on Feb. 6, preventing the Taegeuk Warriors from winning their first Asian Cup since 1960. The loss cost then-head coach Jurgen Klinsmann his job after less than a year at the helm.

South Korea played without Son, after the Tottenham
Hotspur talisman was dropped from the squad last week due to a left hamstring injury. Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae wore the armband in this match.

For Jordan, Yazan Al-Naimat, who had scored the first goal in the Asian Cup win, only played the second half, while Mousa Al-Tamari, the other scorer in that match, was held out due to an ankle injury.

Coached by Hong Myung-bo, South Korea will next face Iraq at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, some 40 kilometers south of Seoul, on Tuesday.

There are three groups of six nations in the third round, and the top two teams from each group will grab their tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

South Korea have played at every World Cup since 1986.

Source: Yonhap News Agency