Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t made a convincing start to life as United States Men’s National Team manager, and now, an old friend could cause him even more headaches.
The USMNT take on South Korea in New Jersey on Saturday, and a lot of eyes will be fixed squarely on Son Heung-min.
Son now plies his trade with LAFC in MLS, but is a Tottenham Hotspur legend. More importantly, he was one of the key protagonists of the Pochettino era in North London, playing 203 times under the Argentine, registering 75 goals and 37 assists along the way.
Pochettino knows all about the different ways the winger is capable of putting opponents to the sword, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be able to stop Son.
Here are the four Son Heung-min signature moves that may be causing Pochettino a few sleepless nights.
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1. Transition running
Since the start of the 2016/17 Premier League season, only Mohamed Salah (101) has had more shots from fast breaks than Son (65), while only the Egyptian (29) and Jamie Vardy (16) have scored more goals from such situations (15).
The sight of Son barrelling toward exposed centre-backs on the counter-attack became a hallmark of the Premier League during his time at Spurs. Even as he advances into his 30s, it’s remained a preferred method of attack, with Son (14) once again second only to Salah (27) for fast-break shots in 2024/25.
From Kyle Walker to Serge Aurier, Pochettino always loved an attacking right-back at Spurs to help out in the final third both with and without possession. And they’re the sort of profiles he has with the USMNT now, with the likes of Sergino Dest (if he plays on the right) and Alex Freeman at their best when looking forward.
That would leave several defensive considerations against any opponent, but against Son, Pochettino will have to give even more care and attention.
Does he task the destructive Tyler Adams with sitting in front of the defence to snuff out any breakaways from Son? The midfielder was first among Bournemouth players for tackles (83) and fourth for fouls (45) last season, and has played a hybrid right-back/central midfield role for the USMNT before.
Or, does he trust Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards with shutting down Son one-on-one? The centre-back is yet to be dribbled past in the Premier League so far this season and has great pace at his disposal.
Pochettino demands high-pressing from his teams and that his full-backs be forward-thinking, but if he’s not careful, he’ll leave the USMNT exposed to Son’s most effective weapon.
2. Combination
Whether it was his partnership with Harry Kane or dovetailing with a creative midfielder like James Maddison, Son has always been one of the best at combining with talented teammates.
The 33-year-old registered double-figure assists in four separate Premier League campaigns and was as much of a creative force as he was a goalscoring one.
Dropping into midfield for a quick one-two, driving inside to open up space on the flank and delivering a devastating cross into the box are all in Son’s playbook, and he’s already averaging a ridiculous 4.21 chances created per 90 minutes in MLS.
South Korea have the considerable talent of Kang-in Lee to bring to bear against the United States, and the PSG man is more than capable of combining with Son to deadly effect with his passing range, vision and mobility.
If Pochettino isn’t careful, the defence which has already proven flimsy during his time in charge could be contorted beyond all recognition. Centre-backs pulled out of position, full-backs too high, and midfielders lost at sea, all thanks to Son’s incredible ability to harmonise with those around him.
3. Late runs
A look at Son’s goal map over the years at Tottenham shows he’s capable of scoring pretty much any kind of goal from any sort of position. However, something that makes him a nightmare for any defender is his ability to find space where others can’t, and make a run to ghost the entire backline.
So many times over the years, the forward has made a run across the defence to the near post, sneaking ahead of unsuspecting centre-backs and leaving his full-back wondering where he went. Or dropping toward the edge of the box to find a pocket of space, while everyone else is sucked toward goal.
Once again, special consideration must be paid by Pochettino here. Does he task his full-back with man-marking Son to stop him catching centre-backs unaware? Or does he trust in his defenders to keep their concentration and always be checking their shoulder for that dangerous, signature run across the six-yard box?
Both options will require elite focus from his backline, and just one momentary lapse could cost the USMNT dearly.
4. Cut inside and finish
This, above all else, is vintage Son Heung-min. Picking up the ball on the left before chopping inside and releasing hell on the opposition goalkeeper is just what he’s always done, time and time again. It’s his modus operandi.
You know exactly what he’s going to do, and you can even hazard a good guess at when he’s going to do it. And yet, Son’s speed and sharpness of thought still make it almost impossible to stop him wrongfooting you and getting a look at goal. The fact he can do this with both feet is all the more terrifying.
Even at 33, Son has still averaged 1.81 successful dribbles per 90 since arriving in MLS, while only four players could beat his 19 goals from outside the box in the Premier League between 2016 and 2025, and two of those were teammates: Harry Kane (21) and James Maddison (20).
Similarly to Son’s transition running, Pochettino must consider whether he wants to double-up on his former winger to force him down the outside, or if he trusts someone like Freeman or Dest to manage that threat alone.
But once again, one wrong step or a single loss of focus could have critical consequences.