Two S. Korean Premier Leaguers boost national team hopes

In this file photo taken on Nov. 15, 2015, South Korean national football team players Ki Sung-yueng (R) and Son Heung-min practice at a training facility in Vientiane, Laos. (Yonhap)

SEOUL  (Yonhap) — Two South Korean footballers in the English Premier League (EPL) are boosting the country’s hopes for upcoming matches, as they each notched a goal for their clubs over the weekend.

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur and Ki Sung-yueng of Swansea City are pulling their socks up ahead of the EPL season finale, trying to make an impressive finish after struggling most of the season. Their late-season surge is also welcoming news for South Korean men’s football team head coach Uli Stielike, who has been concerned about his players in Europe for their poor performances. South Korea will play two friendly matches next month before the final round of the Asian qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup gets under way in September.

Son bagged his fourth goal in the EPL on Sunday (local time) against Southampton. Although his team lost 2-1, the 23-year-old forward wowed home fans at White Hart Lane in London after he slalomed past three Southampton players, including goalkeeper Fraser Forster, to score the opener for Tottenham in the 15th minute.

This was the first time that Son had scored in back-to-back EPL matches. Last Monday, he scored in a 2-2 draw against Chelsea, his first league goal since Dec. 28 last year against Watford. The former Bayer Leverkusen player now has eight goals total in the 2015-16 season, including League Cup competitions.

In this photo taken by EPA, Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min celebrates after scoring a goal against Southampton during their English Premier League match at White Hart Lane in London on May 8, 2016. (Yonhap)

On Saturday, Ki picked up his second EPL goal against West Ham United, helping Swansea’s 4-1 victory at Upton Park in London. He scored Swansea’s third goal of the match with a right-foot volley off Modou Barrow’s cross in the 51st.

This was Ki’s first goal in the EPL since Dec. 26 last year against West Bromwich Albion. The 27-year-old midfielder also made his first start since March 19 against Aston Villa.

The strong performances of Son and Ki came after Stielike expressed his concerns that South Korean footballers in Europe were struggling to make an impact. The coach has been emphasizing that playing regularly with clubs is critical for players to earn a national team selection.

“I hope they return full of desire to show good performances on the pitch after escaping from the current situation,” Stielike said at a Children’s Day’s event by the Korea Football Association on Thursday.

Son and Ki have shown that they are trying to break out of their slump and are ready to be in good shape as South Korea prepare to take on Spain on June 1 in Salzburg, Austria, and face the Czech Republic on June 5 in Prague. These two matches will precede the start of the final Asian World Cup qualifying round in September, and Stielike said he wanted to form the strongest team possible with players in top form.

Son and Ki have been core players for the national team. In 2015, Ki played 1,287 minutes in 14 matches, most among any other players for Stielike’s side. Son was the top scorer for the team with nine goals. Both were also top two players in assists last year with Ki providing five and Son delivering four.

This year, Ki has featured in both of South Korea’s two matches. He set up striker Lee Jeong-hyeop’s winning goal against Lebanon in the regional qualifiers for the World Cup and played 66 minutes in a friendly match at Thailand where South Korea bagged a 1-0 win.

Son didn’t play those two matches in March, but he was tapped as the “wild card” for South Korea at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games by Olympic football team head coach Shin Tae-yong. The men’s Olympic football tournament of 16 nations is open to players under the age of 23, but teams can also field up to three players who are over the age limit, known as “wild cards.” Son will turn 24 in July.

While Ki and Son have alleviated Stielike’s concern, not all players in the EPL are doing the same.

Crystal Palace midfielder Lee Chung-yong hasn’t played since April 20 against Manchester United. Before that, he played only 45 minutes against Watford on Feb. 13.

Lee will likely end his 2015-16 season with a goal in 12 league matches. Against Stoke City on Saturday, he wasn’t even included on a match squad.

The 27-year-old appeared in only three matches for Palace last season after joining the London club in February 2015, but his situation hasn’t improved much in the new season as his relationship with manager Alan Pardew deteriorated.

Lee was recently fined by the club after criticizing Pardew in an interview with South Korean media, saying the manager is running the club with “a very short-term vision.” The speculation is running rampant that Lee will find a new club for next season.

Stielike previously said that a player who fails to play for his club more than six months could be left off the national team in the future.

“Even if they get fewer financial benefits, I hope our players will be with clubs where they can play regularly,” he said.