Son Heung-min scores from spot for Spurs against Watford

Tottenham’s Son Heung-min and Valencia’s Lee Kang-in finished the pre-season with a score. EPL Tottenham Hotspur striker Son scored a penalty 34 minutes into the second half in a warm-up match with Watford at Vicarage Road. Tottenham lost to Watford by 1-2, but Son is fully warmed up for the new season by recording four goals in four matches in the pre-season.

The South Korean star player devoted himself to the match wearing the captain’s armband as goalkeeper and Tottenham’s captain Hugo Lloris was absent that day to participate in the UEFA Nation’s League. Watford caught the ball when every Tottenham player including the goalkeeper was going for attack (corner kick) in the last minute. Watford’s Marc Navarro shot the ball to the empty goalpost from the halfway line. Son raced some 65 meters to the goalpost and cleared the ball. Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho said, “I really liked the fact that in the last minute, we are fighting to try to score, and then Sonny makes a 100-metre sprint to stop the 3-1 on the counter-attack.”

Lee Kang-in of La Liga Valencia CF led the 3-1 victory of his team by scoring two goals in a warm-up match with FC Cartagena. Lee tackled the ball and scored the equalizer when the opponent goalkeeper made a mistake 24 minutes into the second half. He netted again with his left foot 35 minutes into the second half when Valencia was winning by 2-1. Lee started only three matches in the last season, but is now competing to be a key player by making strong impressions in the last match of the pre-season. Valencia will have a La Liga opening match with Levante UD on September 14.


Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com