On the morning of Sept. 29, South Korean player Son Junho, who plays for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League, set foot in Qingdao from Seoul International Airport, where he will begin a period of necessary medical quarantine in accordance with the requirements of epidemic prevention and control.
In two international warm-up matches on September 23 and 27, Son Jun-ho made an eye-catching appearance as a substitute and a starter, respectively. His outstanding performance signals the prospect of joining South Korea's squad for the final round of the World Cup in Qatar. If this comes to fruition, Son Jun-ho will likely return to the national team in November. Although his absence could have a negative impact on Taishan, who are trying to defend their Super League and AFC Cup titles, both the club and head coach Hao Wei are firmly in favor of Son's participation in the World Cup.
In the recent World Cup cycle, South Korea remained undefeated in warm-up matches against Costa Rica and Cameroon, earning a draw and a win. Son Jungho's outstanding play in the two matches won praise from the Korean media and fans, and deeply impressed Korean team manager Paulo Bento. The Korean media generally predicted that Sun Junho would accompany the team to the Qatar World Cup. And he chose to return to his home country to participate in warm-up matches, it is in order to fight for the ticket to the World Cup.
According to the schedule, Taishan's next Chinese Super League match will be against Meizhou Hakka on October 5, and Sun Junhao will be a confirmed absentee. However, he is expected to make a comeback in the Oct. 9 match away to Beijing Guoan.
All indications are that Son Joon Ho is getting closer to being included in South Korea's World Cup squad. The South Korean team is scheduled to regroup in early November, when Sun Junho will also return to the team with a high probability. If all goes well, he will miss most of Taishan's second half of the Chinese Super League and AFC Cup matches, which is undoubtedly a huge loss for Taishan. However, both the club and Hao Wei have expressed their full support for Sun Junhao's participation.
In an interview with Beijing Youth Daily, Hao Wei said, "If Sun Junhao can participate in the World Cup, he will be a unique representative of the Chinese Super League. It's a good thing for the player." Hao Wei admitted that once Sun Zhunhao is called up to the national team, he will miss many club matches, which is undoubtedly a challenge for Taishan to compete for the title. Nevertheless, both the club and Hao Wei are proud of Sun Zhunhao. Hao Wei emphasized, "As a member of the Taishan team, it is an honor for Sun Zhunhao to participate in the world's top soccer tournament, and it is also an honor for our whole team, so of course we have to give our full support."
