It was a return to South Korea for Son Heung-min’s Tottenham Hotspur side, and a case of history repeating itself as Spurs came out winners over the K-League All Stars, repeating their feats from two years ago.
It was Son who was the hometown hero as well, scoring two goals in a blistering first half, and creating another as his shot was spilled by the keeper and dutifully knocked home by Dejan Kulusevski.
K-League All Stars hit back early in the second half, breaking at pace twice and getting in behind Spurs’ defense as Stanislav Iljutcenko netted a double of his own, before Will Lankshear restored a two-goal cushion, knocking in Timo Werner’s low cross. Brazilian midfielder Oberdan struck a stunning volley from range late on to reduce the deficit to a single goal as the All Stars built pressure, but Spurs prevailed to see out a fourth preseason victory in what felt much like an exhibition match.
Here are my top 10 talking points from the match.
Ange Postecoglou, as against Vissel Kobe, relied on the majority of his starters from kick-off, pushing to build fitness; however, he did make a couple of changes to his side, giving Archie Gray a chance to play in midfield and also bringing Lucas Bergvall and Jamie Donley into the starting XI. This gave Postecoglou a chance to see how the youngsters would fare as part of a more senior lineup, in tweaks one might expect in a cup match, as well as allowing two of his key men in the middle in Bissouma and Maddison a rest ahead of Bayern Munich.
Though the K-League side were well outplayed, Spurs’ new signing was the obvious spark for the Koreans on the left. He led a couple of dangerous breakaways, attacked Emerson Royal, and unleashed a stinging shot that was narrowly high of Guglielmo Vicario’s goal. It’s early days, but at the very least, Yang Min-hyuk is fun to watch.
Son Heung-min clearly wanted to impress his countrymen, with his Spurs teammates feeding him the ball and the captain aggressive in possession. It didn’t always come off, but the fans ended up getting value for money, as Son scored two trademark goals: the first, hitting the top corner from the edge of the box; then finishing off the first half with his second as he nutmegged a defender following a one-two with Kulusevski before slotting past the keeper.
Possibly one of the players of preseason thus far, Archie Gray got a chance to start in what was nominally a more natural role. Lining up as the defensive midfielder, he was good out of possession, positioning himself well in transition and often cutting out dangerous attacks; but on the ball he found things much tougher. His passing was wayward, and he struggled at time to help Spurs press the initiative. He switched to a more attacking midfield role in the second period, but faded before being replaced. It’s interesting he hasn’t yet been tried at right back.
You didn’t need to have sharp hearing to observe Ange Postecoglou’s tirade at his players during the first half drinks break. Laden with expletives, he could be heard to shout, “Go man to man!!!” as the Australian was clearly unhappy with Spurs’ press. He was right too, as Sarr, Johnson, and Bergvall were occasionally too over eager, leaving gaps that allowed K-League All Stars to break into space. That’ll need to improve against better sides.
With only limited changes made at the half, the majority of Spurs’ starting XI was asked to play out sixty minutes plus, and it became clear that the team isn’t quite match-fit still. Before Postecoglou rung the changes, Spurs’ players had slowed to a walking pace, and though some of that was probably due to fitness, it was also likely due in large part to the oppressive and sweltering conditions.
Could Spurs have a new left back option? Jamie Donley has played all of his minutes at left back this preseason and has been quietly excellent. Though he was caught infield for one of the All Stars’ goals and faded like the rest of the side second half, in the first period he was one of Spurs’ best. He took up excellent positions in attack, his passing was fantastic, and he combined well with Son. It’s more likely he receives a loan this season, but with depth at the position thin, is it possible Ange keeps him around?
It’s possible Lankshear has made the backup striker position (or at least the youth forward option) his own. After Spurs’ regular starters, he has been Postecoglou’s first option at #9 throughout preseason, and unlike other fixtures where he shared minutes with Veliz and Scarlett, today he saw out the match. He’s a player who gets himself into positions to score, being good value for his goal and unlucky not to have a second, and doesn’t look out of place playing against adults. He could stick around while Scarlett and Veliz head out on loan.
Oliver Skipp had a rough go of it in the match, completely bamboozled to the point of tripping over his own feet in midfield as the K-League All Stars broke for their opening goal; before taking a hefty challenge late in the match. It was clear studs-up contact to the knee, and after the ball had gone; the referee awarded a yellow, but it was an obvious red... probably even in a friendly. Skipp finished out the match, however, albeit with a limp.
With the noises around a transfer to AC Milan reaching almost deafening levels, Emerson Royal started for Spurs today, turning in a typically solid performance with some flair thrown in for good measure: an unsuccessful bicycle kick attempt. When subbed off late in the match though, he made a point of waving to the crowd - perhaps his farewell to fans? This could be the last we see of Royal in Lilywhite.
Screw it, we’re gonna win the league.
