Rodrigo Bentancur, Tottenham Hotspur’s starting midfielder, has returned. When ‘captain’ Son Heung-min, who should have been the happiest after scoring the winning goal, hugged Bentancourt and congratulated him on his return after 8 months of personal joy, all the players also ran to welcome Bentancourt’s return.
Just from this scene, I could see why Tottenham was doing so well this season.
Tottenham Hotspur won 2-1 with Son Heung-min’s winning goal in the away game against Crystal Palace in the 10th round of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL) held at Selhurst Park in London, England at 4 a.m. on the 28th (Korean time). Son Heung-min started as a starter and played full time, scoring one goal. 스포츠토토
In the 8th minute of the second half, after Tottenham’s right throw-in attack, Pedro Foro saw Pape Sar running into the right half space and passed forward, and Sar passed it to James Madison who was next to him. Madison made a right-footed cross to the center, and Palace captain Joel Ward, who tried to block the ball, scored an own goal, giving Tottenham the first point.
In the 21st minute of the second half, after Madison’s sensible ball touch from the left, Johnson passed the pass to Brennan Johnson again to Son Heung-min in front of the goal, and Son Heung-min pushed it in with his left foot to make it 2-0. In the 4th minute of added time in the second half, Palace’s Jordan Ayew scored a goal with a left-footed shot due to a defensive mistake caused by Tottenham right fullback Pedro Foro’s failure to land the ball, but Tottenham won 2-1.
Before the game that day, an unfamiliar but welcome face stood out on the bench. Tottenham’s central midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur sat on the bench.
Bentancur, who underwent surgery for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in the game against Leicester City last February, is finally in good shape to play in the game after about eight months of rehabilitation. In the absence of Bentancur, who was originally the starting midfielder, Yves Bissouma and Pape Sar have stepped up to the starting lineup at Tottenham. If Bentancur returns, Tottenham will have a stronger player base.
Bentancur entered the stadium as a replacement for Dejan Kulusevski in the 45th minute of the second half, when the team was ahead 2-0. He played about 10 extra minutes, including extra time, and although he didn’t do much, it was a meaningful trip just to be back on the field.
After the game that day, Tottenham players celebrated Bentancur’s return with more than just the joy of victory and the joy of the scorers. As ‘captain’ Son Heung-min was celebrating his return by hugging Bentancur, all the players ran to Bentancur and congratulated him together. It was more like congratulating a player who scored a goal.
Bentancur also expressed gratitude for the hospitality of his teammates and bowed his head in greeting in front of the fans. Fans welcomed Bentancur’s return eight months after overcoming difficult surgery and rehabilitation, and the players celebrated Bentancur’s return beyond the joy of victory or individual goals. Why is Tottenham a team undefeated in the opening 10 games of this season (8 wins, 2 draws)? It was a team atmosphere that was recognizable.
