The day Cha Boom was surpassed after 48 years; the head coach: “No player is greater than the team”

[Financial News] A living legend of South Korean football has finally planted his flag alone at the very top.
Captain Son Heung-min (LAFC) scored his 59th goal in an international match, breaking the remarkable record of former national team coach Cha Bum-kun, known as “Cha Boom,” after nearly 48 years. But beneath the joy of this historic achievement lies the heavy task facing interim coach Roberto Moreno: containing the aftershocks of internal discord and turning the squad into “one team.”
South Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0 in the final friendly of its four-match international series in September and October, held at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on the 6th. The win was powered by consecutive goals from Son Heung-min and Oh Se-hun (Shimizu).
The highlight of the match was undoubtedly Son Heung-min’s opening goal in the sixth minute. After receiving a pass from Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke), Son dribbled cleverly near the penalty arc, drawing a handball from an opponent and winning a free kick. Taking the kick himself, Son sent a low, fast right-footed shot past the defensive wall and into the bottom-right corner of Uzbekistan’s goal.

With the goal, Son scored his 59th in his 151st international appearance. It marked a new record for the most goals in men’s international matches by a South Korean player, coming 47 years, 9 months and 21 days after former coach Cha Bum-kun scored his 58th against China at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok.
But the head coach did not look entirely pleased. At the post-match press conference, Moreno focused less on the joy of victory and more on emphasizing the team’s discipline and philosophy.
The mood in the national team camp is uneasy. After the team’s 0-0 draw with Venezuela in its previous match, defensive stalwart Kim Min-jae (Munich) bluntly criticized the forwards for not contributing enough defensively, saying, “I feel sorry for the defenders alone.” Midfield general Hwang In-beom (Porto) also teared up in the mixed zone, saying, “There’s no one to help.” Even after the win over Uzbekistan, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan were seen staying on the pitch for some time and talking with serious expressions, suggesting that accumulated fatigue and lingering tensions within the squad had yet to be fully resolved.

Apparently mindful of this, Moreno called for unity within the squad in a firm tone. “No player should think they are greater than the team,” he said emphatically. “The team can grow only when individual achievements or goals are put behind the team’s achievements. That philosophy is especially important at the level of a national team like South Korea.”
Moreno also signaled his characteristic willingness to confront discord within the squad head-on. “My firm principle is that when a problem arises, we talk face-to-face and work it out, and that what happens internally is resolved internally,” he said, making his position clear.
After the previous match, Moreno had likened his tactics to “the process of building a building.” He said, “A six-story building is too short in Korea. I want to build a taller one.” But he also stressed that “we should avoid tearing down the entire building and starting over just because one match went badly,” making clear that he would press ahead without wavering from his tactical approach, built around a 4-4-2 system.
On Lee Kang-in (Atlético Madrid), who was substituted at halftime because of an ankle injury, Moreno said, “It was an unforeseen change that wasn’t part of our plan, but we have to adapt and respond. There’s no doubt that Lee Kang-in loves and is devoted to the national team.” He expressed unwavering confidence in the player.
The Moreno-led side ended the four-match series with two wins, one draw and one loss, leaving it with both successes and challenges. Son Heung-min’s scoring touch continued to shine as he broke a record that had stood for 48 years, but the series also laid bare the urgent need to mend the divisions that had surfaced on and off the pitch.
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