SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s national soccer team may be stumbling toward 2026 World Cup qualification and its clubs may have struggled in the Asian Champions League, but three of its biggest stars have been finding success in Europe.
Kim Min-jaehelped German giant Bayern Munich lift the Bundesliga title, the 28-year-old defender’s second major prize in Europe after winning the Italian championship with Napoli two years earlier.
While Kim has two European trophies, the biggest star in Korean soccer is Son Heung-min and the 32-year-old forward is yet to win a major title. That could change next week with the Tottenham captain preparing to lead the London-based Spurs in the Europa League final against Premier League rival Manchester United.
“To complete the puzzle, you need every piece. Ultimately, I think, the most important final piece is still missing,” Son, who joined Tottenham in 2015, told South Korea media in London on Monday. “I think I’ve been chasing that piece for 10 years. I’d love to finish that puzzle this time.”
Son was part of the Tottenham team that lost the 2019 UEFA Champions League final to Liverpool. Now, as the senior player, he’s determined to end what has been a difficult season for club — Tottenham is currently 17th out of 20 teams in the Premier League — and country, on a high.
“I think this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something I may never have again,” Son said. “I hope I won’t have regrets afterward. When I return to Korea after the season, I’d like to give my Korean fans and our Tottenham supporters the biggest smile I can bring.”
Son returned to action last weekend after an absence through injury but is set to start against Manchester United. The same is not automatically the case for Lee Kang-in.
The 24-year-old Lee, an attacking midfielder has been struggling for playing time of late for Paris Saint-Germain. He has appeared in 11 UEFA Champions League games this season but was on the bench as the French club beat Arsenal in the semifinals to book a final against Inter Milan on May 31 in Munich.
That game will marks the end of the European season and the start of transfer speculation. Lee has been linked with clubs elsewhere in Europe. So has Kim, whose season at Munich has been affected by injuries.
“I want to keep playing for Munich,” Kim said last month. “There's no reason why I should leave this team. I like playing for Munich. I want to continue playing for this team next season. It’s one thing that’s important to me right now.”
It remains to be seen where the three biggest stars in Korean football are in August but the focus is currently on winning three prizes in European club football and bringing some good news for fans at home.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-Min practices during a training session at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre, London, Monday May 12, 2025. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)
Bayern's Kim Min-jae, Bayern's Thomas Mueller, Bayern's Johan Kusi-Asare, from left, pose with the championship shield after the German Bundesliga's soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Munich, Germany, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-Min following the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Sunday May 11, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
HOUSTON (AP) — It was a rough major league debut for Houston top prospect Brice Matthews on Friday night.
But the Astros are confident that he'll learn from his first game to be better moving forward.
Batting eighth and playing second base, Matthews went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in a 7-3 loss to the Texas Rangers. He struck out in his first three at-bats before he was retired on a fly out in the ninth inning.
“I just want him to build from that last at-bat,” manager Joe Espada said. “He hit that ball hard. You could take a lot of positives from today. No. 1 I thought he handled himself really well, had confidence and he was asking the right questions in between at-bats, and also seeing how they're going to attack (him). There was a lot to learn from that first game.”
Matthews said he started to feel better at the plate after a couple of at-bats.
“I feel like as the night went on my at-bats got better, I got more comfortable out there,” he said. “And just seeing the fight and these guys they never quit, so it makes me wanna play even harder for them. So I’ll continue to do that.”
Matthews, an infielder rated as the organization’s top prospect by MLB.com, was hitting .283 with 12 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs and 39 RBIs in 73 games for Sugar Land this season. He has a .400 on-base percentage and a .476 slugging percentage. His team-leading 25 stolen bases rank fourth in the Pacific Coast League.
Matthews, who has primarily played second base this season, was taken 28th overall by the Astros in the 2023 amateur draft. He had a great June where he earned the organization’s minor league player of the month honors after hitting .306 with six doubles, three triples, four home runs and 16 RBIs in 25 games.
The 23-year-old hit for the cycle on May 10 against Sacramento when he went 4 for 6 with two RBIs.
Playing for the team he grew up rooting for was a dream come true for Matthews, who was born in Houston and attended high school in a nearby suburb.
“It was a whirlwind,” he said. “It was a lot of fun, just awesome atmosphere. Coming to these games as a kid, so to be on the other side of it and be able to play, it was a great feeling. We didn't get the job done today, but I'll cherish this moment forever.”
The move comes as the Astros placed outfielder Jake Meyers on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain retroactive to Thursday. They also transferred INF/OF Zach Dezenzo to the 60-day injured list to make room for Matthews on the 40-man roster.
The injury to Meyers is another setback for the Astros, who were already without shortstop Jeremy Peña and slugger Yordan Alvarez because of injuries. Meyers has had a strong season and is hitting .308 with three homers and 21 RBIs.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Houston Astros second baseman Brice Matthews (28) throws to first base for a double play after forcing out Texas Rangers' Wyatt Langford at second base during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Houston Astros second baseman Brice Matthews (28) stands ready during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Houston Astros second baseman Brice Matthews (28) throws to first base for an out during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Houston Astros' Brice Matthews takes his first Major League at bat during the second inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
