Australia defender Matthew Spiranovic admits his side will be on high-alert if South Korea’s Bundesliga ace Son Heung-min starts on Saturday.
Son is a team-mate of Robbie Kruse at Bayer Leverkusen and has been lighting up the Bundesliga since he moved to Germany in 2013, scoring 15 goals in 47 appearances.
If Son plays against Australia in Brisbane, he looms as the man Australia must keep quiet if they are to get the result they need to secure top spot in the group.
Son did not play in South Korea’s second match – a 1-0 victory over Kuwait – but completed 90 minutes in his country’s opening triumph against Oman.
Currently keeping Kruse out of the starting side at Leverkusen, 22-year-old Son is a proven goal-scorer, is comfortable with both feet and quick, which makes him a dangerous prospect for the host nation.
Asked if he will seek out Kruse for advice on how to stop Son, Spiranovic said: “I might not ask Krusey but I might ask some of the coaching staff.
“We sit down and analyse each team and look at individual players.
“I’ll do my homework before the game and try and take out any advantage I can going into it.”
Spiranovic is one of just four players in Australia’s squad that has played the full 90 minutes in both of the first two matches and is adamant he does not need a rest before the quarter-finals.
The Western Sydney Wanderers defender is keen to get as much game time as he can alongside central defensive partner Trent Sainsbury as they look to develop their understanding together.
“It was our first game together against Kuwait and it’s not easy when you’re playing with different players for the first time,” Spiranovic said of their combination.
“I thought we had a good performance against Kuwait. It was a good platform to build on and I think there was improvement against Oman.
“And not just between ourselves but the team in general and I think the more games we play together, the better we will get.”
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