Son Heung-min scores wonder goal followed by 73-meter solo run

Thirty-two minutes into the first half of the game with Tottenham Hotspur F.C. leading 2-0, Son Heung-min started to run towards the goalpost after taking the ball near the Spurs' penalty area. As the South Korean footballer with nickname “Supersonic” crossed the field, 58,000 spectators began to stand up and cheered, “Go! Sonny!”.

Son whose instantaneous maximum speed is 34.4 kilometers per hour – equivalent to running 100 meters in 10.50 seconds – accelerated his dribble. After crossing the half-line, he passed Burnley F.C.’s defenders on two occasions by lightly kicking the ball forward. Son was faster dribbling than his teammates running without a ball. As he reached the penalty area of Burnley in 12 seconds passing eight defenders, it was just Son versus the goalkeeper. Son found the net with a right-footed shot.

Son Heung-min made a fantastic goal on Sunday at the home game of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. against Burnley F.C., the 16th round match of the English Premier League (EPL). The New York Times reported that Son Heung-min scored a goal with 12 touches and covering 80 yards or 73.122 meters. This is the longest solo-run goal by the South Korean since his debut in the EPL, following his previous record of a 50-meter goal against Chelsea F.C. in November last year. He contributed to a big 5-0 win by the Spurs by additionally providing one assist, which led to his current record of 10 goals and nine assists in the season. With another goal under his belt on Sunday, he has successfully score two-digit goals per season for four seasons in a row since the 2016-2017 season. The Spurs, which stood at the eighth place, are now ranked sixth in the league.

“I slowed down to pass the ball to Dele Alli but I couldn’t find him,” said Son after the game. "So I just kept going. I scored the goal because I was lucky to find space where the other team’s defenders weren’t around.”

The goal by Son, which featured his lightning speed and Burnley players struggling to keep up, garnered global attention. “Wow. Son has just scored one of the greatest individual goals you're ever likely to see. Goal of the season, me thinks,” Gary Lineker hailed Son Heung-Min's solo goal. Some even predict that the FIFA Puskás Award, which is given to the player with the most stunning goal of the year, will go to the Supersonic.


Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com