Kim Min-jae throws boots after Venezuela sub, misses Uzbekistan win

📰 Kim Min-jae took off and threw his boots after being substituted against Venezuela, criticising the team's lack of fight, and was later left out of the squad for the Uzbekistan match owing to accumulated fatigue. 📌 Key points 🏟️ Korea drew 0-0 with Venezuela in Ulsan on 2 October. 👟 Substituted in the second half, Kim Min-jae took off his boots and threw them on the bench. 🗣️ After the match he said it had been a tough game for the defenders alone and called on the whole team to fight. 🩹 He then did individual training instead of team training two days in a row and was left out of the matchday squad on the 6th. ⚽ Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0 without Kim Min-jae. 📝 What happened ⚽ Korea drew 0-0 with Venezuela in a friendly at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium on 2 October. According to Money Today, Korea's attack struggled so badly that they managed just one shot in the entire first half. Kim Min-jae, who started, was substituted in the second half, and cameras caught him taking off his boots and throwing them on the bench. 🗣️ In a post-match interview with the broadcaster, Kim said the defenders had been put in difficult situations, and that the whole team needed to fight, compete and defend together. Coach Moreno said he understood a key player showing his frustration but that one result should not bring down the whole structure, and captain Son Heung-min also backed him, saying he fully understood Kim. 🩹 Kim then did individual recovery training instead of team training on the 4th and 5th. According to MHN Sports, a team official explained it was not an injury serious enough to require leaving the camp, but that fatigue appeared to have built up from the many matches he had played. Kim was left out of both the starting line-up and the substitutes for the Uzbekistan match on the 6th, with Kim Tae-hyeon partnering Lee Han-beom at centre-back. 🏆 Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0 at Yongin Mireu Stadium on the 6th. Son Heung-min opened the scoring with an early free-kick to record his 59th international goal, a new Korean men's record surpassing Cha Bum-kun (58 goals), and in the second half Oh Se-hun headed in Song Min-kyu's cross. Goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo's saves also helped secure the clean sheet. 📊 By the numbers • v Venezuela: 0-0 draw (Kim Min-jae substituted in the second half) • v Uzbekistan: 2-0 win (Son Heung-min, Oh Se-hun) — Kim Min-jae left out of the squad • Son Heung-min: 59 international goals in 151 caps (previous record: Cha Bum-kun, 58 goals) • Moreno's September–October four-match run: W2 D1 L1 (3-0, 1-4, 0-0, 2-0) 🔭 Why it matters The key defender who spoke out missed the final match, but the team managed to lift the mood somewhat with a clean-sheet win and Son Heung-min's landmark. However, SBS noted that Korea struggled and gave the opposition several chances, so defensive organisation remains a work in progress. The squad reconvenes in November for two friendlies.