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Colombian center back says defending his Tottenham teammate was 'tough'

By Joo Kyung-don

SEOUL, March 26 (Yonhap) -- Colombia's star center back Davinson Sanchez said Tuesday that defending his Tottenham Hotspur teammate Son Heung-min in an international friendly match was a tough job.

The two Tottenham players went head to head at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, where South Korea collected a 2-1 win. Sanchez was Colombia's starting center back, while Son was South Korea's center forward also wearing a captain's armband.

"It's always tough," Sanchez said of playing against Son. "He's a good player and a top player."

Colombia's Davinson Sanchez (R) watches South Korea's Son Heung-min take a shot on goal during a friendly football match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on March 26, 2019. (Yonhap)

The two players clashed frequently throughout the match. In the 14th minute, Son fell down to the ground, apparently feeling pain in his lower back, following an aerial duel against Sanchez, and South Korea's medical staff had to rush onto the pitch.

After that incident, Son punished the visitors by scoring a goal with his powerful strike in the 16th after beating Sanchez's marking. It was his first international goal since the 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage match against Germany.

Despite their rough duel on the pitch, Sanchez, 22, emphasized that he and Son are good friends.

"I don't think we were that tough to each other," he said. "He (Son) is very important for us in the club. But here, it was different because we're playing for our national teams. We played well, and that's something important."

Colombia's Davinson Sanchez (2nd from L) vies for the ball against South Korean players during a friendly football match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on March 26, 2019. (Yonhap)

After conceding a goal to Son, Colombia got back into the game with Luis Diaz's goal in the 48th. However, Lee Jae-sung scored the winner for South Korea in the 58th and gave Colombia its first defeat under new head coach Carlos Queiroz.

"We tried to have a good performance, but sometimes it's difficult," he said. "They (South Korea) played well in offense, and it was difficult for us to come back in the game."

Meanwhile, Son said he also had a "good experience" facing his teammate as a foe.

"It's special to face your club teammate in international matches," he said. "Sanchez is a very skillful player, so it was a good experience for me."

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