Gordon shines in Son’s swansong as Newcastle draw with Spurs in Seoul
Newcastle United wrapped up their South Korean pre-season tour with a deserved 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in front of a sold-out Seoul World Cup Stadium, in what proved to be Heung-min Son’s final game for the London club. And while the emotion of the occasion centred on the South Korean icon’s farewell, it was Newcastle who delivered the more composed and convincing performance over the ninety minutes.
Spurs struck first through Brennan Johnson, whose deflected effort wrong-footed Nick Pope just four minutes in. It was a poor concession, not least from Pope, who might feel he should have done better despite the nick off Dan Burn. The Newcastle keeper did redeem himself later with several key saves, but it was another reminder that, with Aaron Ramsdale now signed, the position is firmly up for grabs, even if Ramsdale himself may not be the long-term solution the club really need.
After the early setback, Newcastle responded impressively. This was a calmer, more assured display in possession than we’ve seen in recent outings, with Anthony Gordon at the heart of it all. Playing down the middle in a more fluid false nine role, Gordon looked sharp, constantly dropping deep to link play and stretching the Spurs back line with clever movement. He had a goal ruled out for offside and created Barnes’ equaliser with a powerful run through the centre.
The goal itself was vintage Barnes. Cutting inside from the left, he shifted the ball onto his right and drove it low off the post and in, a finish that underlined why he remains the most clinical forward at the club. He’ll have a big part to play this season, especially with a new centre-forward still glaringly absent. Will Osula, given another chance in the second half, once again failed to impose himself. There’s real promise in Gordon’s movement centrally, but the lack of a natural, proven No.9 is an issue that must be addressed before the window shuts.
In midfield, Bruno Guimarães was typically combative and came dangerously close to seeing red after briefly grabbing Cristian Romero by the throat. As ever, Joelinton threw himself into every duel like it was a Champions League final: Brazilians don’t do friendlies, and it showed.
At the back, Pope’s reflexes spared Newcastle from conceding a second, with strong saves from Richarlison and Bergvall keeping things level. It was also a welcome sight to see Lewis Hall make his long-awaited return from injury, while promising cameos from youngsters Seung-soo Park and Travis Hernes gave the travelling support something to cheer.
As Son left the pitch to emotional scenes, his farewell moment rightly drew the headlines. But from a Newcastle perspective, this was a quietly encouraging display. Barnes is firing, Gordon is growing into a central role, and there was far more fluency on the ball than in previous games.
But with less than two weeks until the Premier League kicks off, one thing is clear: this team needs a proper centre-forward.
