Rodrigo Bentancur’s reunion with Son Heung-min didn’t quite go according to plan on the pitch, but Tottenham fans got some lovely scenes out of it anyway.
The two former teammates met again on Monday as Uruguay faced South Korea in Seoul. Uruguay actually won 4-1, despite Son getting on the scoresheet for the hosts late on.
That didn’t get in the way of their reunion. Bentancur and Son shared warm embraces around the game, with the pictures and videos quickly spreading on social media.
And Bentancur’s comments beforehand make those scenes a little nicer from a Tottenham perspective.
Bentancur was very happy to see Son again
Speaking before the friendly, Bentancur was asked about coming up against his old Spurs teammate. El País and ESPN carried his comments in South America, and there was clearly plenty of affection there.
“I haven’t spoken to Sonny yet, but it will be nice to see him again after some time since I last saw him at the club,” Bentancur said. “It will be a pleasure to see him and face him tomorrow.”
Then came the bit that aged rather badly. Bentancur said there hadn’t been any special Uruguay discussions about how to deal with Son. Everyone already knew exactly how dangerous he could be.
“I haven’t spoken to my teammates about him, but everyone already knows what a great player he is,” he explained. “I’m going to do everything possible to make sure he doesn’t score any goals against us.”
Well, he failed… Uruguay were already 3-0 up when Son scored after 80 minutes. Darwin Núñez had struck twice, with Giorgian de Arrascaeta also finding the net. Kim Min-jae’s own goal then completed a 4-1 Uruguay victory.
So Bentancur got the result he wanted, just not the clean sheet against his old teammate.
Once all that was done, he and Son were back together and embracing again. For Tottenham supporters who spent years watching the pair together, it was a nice little reunion.
Korean fans haven’t forgotten Bentancur either
Rodrigo Bentancur of Tottenham Hotspur looks on
during the UEFA Super Cup
Paris Saint-Germain v Tottenham Hotspur at Stadio Friuli.
There was another Spurs element to Bentancur’s trip which we quite liked. The midfielder knows South Korea well. He’s previously travelled there with Uruguay’s youth and senior teams, as well as Tottenham.
And despite arriving this time with his country, there were still plenty of Spurs supporters waiting for him.
“It’s a pleasure to be here,” Bentancur said. “I’ve already had the opportunity to come with the national team, first with the Under-20s, then with the senior team and afterwards with Tottenham.”
“It’s always nice to come here and see all the Tottenham fans. They’ve welcomed me very well and they’ve always been at the hotel showing their support for me.
“I want to thank them and it’s a pleasure to be here.”
So Uruguay got a big win, Son got his goal, and the pair got their reunion. The hugs before and after the match said plenty on their own.
