Son Blames Poor Pitches for South Korea's World Cup Qualifying Struggles

After a 1-1 draw with Jordan, South Korea's captain Son Heung-min criticized the poor quality of the pitches impacting their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. The team has drawn twice at home, holding a narrow lead in Asian qualifying Group B ahead of an important match against Iraq. Son expressed frustration that home conditions have not improved, which he believes undermines their competitive advantage. This issue of subpar playing surfaces has been a recurring problem in South Korean football, echoed by players like Jesse Lingard. Despite the setbacks, South Korea remains at the top of the group with 16 points, but they need to address these pitch concerns to secure an automatic World Cup spot. Son emphasized that these details can significantly affect match outcomes and urged for more attention to be paid to the situation.