In the morning of September 29th, the core player of the Chinese Super League team Shandong Taishan, Sun Junho from South Korea, arrived in Qingdao on a flight from Seoul to begin the medical isolation procedure that must be carried out in accordance with the epidemic prevention regulations.
Looking back at the two international warm-up matches on September 23rd and 27th, Son Jungho had an eye-catching performance as a substitute and in his debut. This outstanding performance makes him expected to become a member of the Korean national team to participate in the final round of the World Cup in Qatar. If that happens, Son will likely be back on the road in early November.
Although Sun Junhao's absence will have a negative impact on Shandong Taishan's bid for the Super League and AFC Cup double, the club and head coach Hao Wei have expressed their full support for his participation in the World Cup. Hao Wei said in an interview, "Participating in a top tournament like the World Cup is the ultimate dream of every player and coach, so of course the club and I will fully support him."
In the recent World Cup preparation cycle, South Korea won a draw and a win in warm-up matches against Costa Rica and Cameroon. Son Jungho performed well in both matches, winning praise from the Korean media and fans, and impressing manager Paulo Bento. It is widely believed in the Korean media that Son will go to Qatar with the team to participate in the World Cup.
According to the schedule, Shandong Taishan's next Chinese Super League match will be against Meizhou Hakka on October 5, and Sun Junhao will not be able to play. However, he is expected to make his comeback in the Oct. 9 match away to Beijing Guoan.
All indications are that Son Joon Ho is not far away from being included in the South Korean team's World Cup squad. The South Korean team is scheduled to regroup in early November, which means there is a high probability that Son will return to the team at the same time. If all goes well, he will miss most of Shandong Taishan's Super League and AFC Cup matches in the second half of the season. Although this is a big loss for Taishan, both the club and Hao Wei have expressed their full support for Sun's dream of playing soccer.
In an interview with Beijing Youth Daily, Hao Wei said, "If Sun Junhao can participate in the World Cup, he will be the 'one and only' in the Chinese Super League. It's a good thing for the player." Hao Wei admitted that Sun Zhunhao will miss a number of club matches if he is called up to the World Cup squad, which will definitely have an impact on the team's goal of striking the championship. However, he emphasized that as a player being able to represent the national team in the World Cup is an honor for Sun Junhao, as well as for the club and the entire Chinese Super League, so full support should be given.
