Son Heung-Min’s 10th goal = Champions League spot / Europe roundup

Son’s goal was so Saturday ago but the press was held for QPR’s Yun Suk-Young and their promotional playoff result with Wigan today – they didn’t disappoint. But first it’s cliche time: Every goal counts right?  The reality is any team advancing is always a team effort…but the individual’s contribution is part of the equation and Son’s crucial header into the back of Werder Bremen’s net was what made the difference, completing a comeback early in the 53rd minute.

Son Heung-Min time – let’s get to it:

That could’ve been a brace for Son on Saturday in the 88th minute.  A poster on BSK forum had this flash video that showed Son’s role in starting the attack near the area, then repositioning himself to capitalize on the rebound.

Bayer Leverkusen needed all 3 points to keep a point and a step ahead of Wolfsburg, who got their 3 points against Borussia M’gladbach. Razor close finish for Leverkusen to end the season in 4th- good enough to secure that last Champions League spot. Son ends his Bundesliga season with his new club with 10 goals, 4 assists + 2 goals and 1 assist in the DFB Pokal Cup tournament.

Son ending the season in form = good ‘kibun’ and optimism for the World Cup.

Yun Suk-Young played the 2nd leg of the promotion playoff semifinal against Wigan this afternoon – subbing in the 50th minute for Clint Hill. With the 1st game Friday ending in a scoreless draw, it was a dramatic penalty taken by Charlie Austin to send the game into overtime. Austin 2x in the 96th minute + nail biting moments defending against Wigan onslaught and QPR winds up 2-1 winners with a trip to Wembley on May 24th against Derby. Meaning Yun will not join up with the rest of the KNT in Paju until late May. Question now emerges – this good or not so good for Yun in terms of finding his place with the starting XI for Korea in Brazil?

And quickly back to Germany where Koo Ja-Cheol also makes the highlight for the Tavern. The presumed captain for the Taeguk Warriors for the World Cup, Koo worked an effective 90 minute shift against Hamburg, getting an assist by squeezing through a pass in traffic to Malli who in turn redirected it into the lower corner of the net…[by the way, ESPNFC got it wrong in their report, crediting Okazaki with the assist – though the Ok did deliver an excellent game winning goal in the 82nd minute]. The win enabled Mainz entry to the Europa League next season, just beating out Augsburg for the spot – while Son’s former club HSV with the loss will now have an extra 2 games to fight for the right to remain in the Bundesliga.  Since the formation of the Bundesliga, HSV has never been relegated…

 

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*Park Joo-Ho, Park Chu-Young, Ki Sung-Yeung had already ended their seasons early and are in Korea to recuperate.

Last note on the European season’s end (not for Yun yet), Cardiff’s last game in the Premiership has Bluebird supporters turned against their megalomanic owner (and football clueless) Vincent Tan for creating a chaotic 1st season back in the top flight. Since Malky Mackaye’s sacking, outraged supporters have been increasingly turning the stadium retro-blue in protest -all to the chagrin of the superstitious Tan. Here’s ESPNFC on the end:

“The day began with Cardiff owner Vincent Tan saying he would consider changing the club’s colours back from red to blue if City could win promotion back to the Premier League.

The home support repeatedly broke into song – “We’re Cardiff City, we’ll always be blue” – as they watched their red-shirted team take on a Chelsea side who had hoped to be in title contention on the final day.”

 

OK let’s go to Korea for the Asian Champions League / Round of 16 knockouts 2nd leg on Tuesday and Wednesday:

 

May 13, 2014
7:30PM Korea
06:30AM EST
   
POHANG STEELERS (KOR) JEONBUK HYUNDAI MOTORS (KOR)
Venue: Pohang Steelyard, Pohang
 Pohang leads series 2-1 aggregate

 

May 14, 2014
06:30 AM EST
7:30PM KOREA
FC SEOUL (KOR) KAWASAKI FRONTALE (JPN)
Venue: Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul

FC Seoul leads 3-2 on aggregate

 

I’ve gotten back late from a funeral and it’s made a bit of an impression on me.  Not many would recognize the name Lee Byung-Il.  His name will not appear in any history books. What he was:  one of the most honest men I knew, a humble man, a car mechanic, he was the father of one of my best friends in high school.  He died last Saturday, not recovering from a double by-pass surgery. He was a friend to our whole family and he will be missed.  To Mr Lee, you’ve had a hard road, surviving war, overcoming the challenges of being an immigrant in a new country and different culture.  May you finally rest in peace, well deserved. Chal-ga-yo.

 

About Roy Ghim 454 Articles
The old Tavern Owner

8 Comments

  1. Few things.

    1) Wolfsburg beat Borussia Monchengladbach, not Schalke.

    2) Almeria is not mathematically safe. They will need at least a point from their last game against Athletic. Granted Athletic have nothing to play for, but they did beat Almeria 6-1 in the reverse fixture.

    3) Vincent Tan has said the reason Cardiff got relegated was because of Malky Mackay. It was his money (Tan’s) that got them promoted, not Mackay. 헐…

  2. Mackay has “unconditionally apologized” to Vincent Tan and Moody has apologized also. No more court case. Maybe Mackay wanted to put it behind him? Still, I wish he co

    • oops hit enter too early
      Still, I wish he could have taken a hit to Tan’s wallet in some form… wouldn’t have been much to Tan probably though.
      Whatever. Cardiff will always be blue.

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