Japanese media and fans paid attention to a scene that occurred in the match between Liverpool and Tottenham.
The 36th round of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL) between the two teams was held at Anfield, Liverpool, on the 6th. Tottenham had a golden equalizer chance in the 40th minute when Liverpool led 1-0 with the first goal of "Ace" Mohamed Salah in the 16th minute.
From the right side of the opponent team, Pedro Porro connected the pass to Son Heung-min near the penalty area line. After trapping the ball that was deflected off the defender's foot with his chest, Son tried to control the ball with his right foot. It seemed as if he intended to change direction and shoot a left-footed shot. At that time, Liverpool midfielder Endo Wataru, who was preparing for the cross near the goal area, ran towards Son Heung-min. Then, he robbed Son of the ball with a fierce charge. Lost his balance, Son fell on the grass, and Liverpool immediately launched a counterattack.
Abe shared a short video clip edited by saying, "Endo defeated Son Heung-min" on his official SNS account. "The Showdown between Japan and Korea in the Premier League. Endo won!" he added. Former Japanese soccer player Ryohayashi raised his thumb by saying, "The play is called Endo Wataru."
Japanese soccer media Soccer Digest reported that Japanese fans who watched the scene showed reactions such as "endoshin," "substantial war against Japan," and "great."
Son Heung-min and Endo, the captains of the Korean and Japanese national teams, faced off at the club level for the first time on the day. In a match held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September last year, Endo replaced Luis Díaz in the 28th minute of the second half, when Son Heung-min scored the first goal and was replaced in the 24th minute of the second half. At that time, Tottenham won 2-1 with Yoel Matip's own goal in the 6th minute of extra time in the second half, and Son Heung-min won against Endo by decision.
Endo had 51 cheek touches, 91 percent of pass success rate, two ground contention successes, three fouls and one tackle until he was replaced by Stefan Weichetic, a midfielder under the terms and conditions, in the 19th minute of the second half. Endo joined Liverpool this season and played in 27 league matches, securing his position as the main defensive midfielder.
Liverpool, which led 4-0 with consecutive goals by Andy Robertson in the 45th minute, Cody Hakpo in the 5th minute of the second half, and Harvey Elliott in the 14th minute of the second half, gave Tottenham the lead after Endo and left-back Robertson stepped down as replacements. In the end, it was shaken by consecutive losses to Hishalisson in the 27th minute of the second half and Son Heung-min in the 32nd minute, but won 4-2 without additional losses.
Son's 300th EPL match, the first Asian player to be played by an Asian player, was overshadowed by his team's defeat. Son shot his 17th goal of this season with a field goal in six matches. He increased the EPL's total score to 120 goals, matching Steven Gerrard (tied for 22nd) who is also a "Riverpool Legend." 토토사이트 모음
Tottenham fell into a swamp of four consecutive losses as its defense collapsed again despite Son Heung-min's performance. It is the first time in 20 years that Tottenham has lost four consecutive games since 2004. It failed to win points, and the point gap with Aston Villa, the fourth-place team, was maintained at seven points. Only when they win all the remaining three games and Villa lose all the remaining two games can they dramatically regain fourth place, which is qualified for the European Champions League.
There are growing calls that "No-Pac-Cuckoo" football led by Enzi Postecoglou, who took the helm of Tottenham this season, is showing limitations.