Tottenham international roundup - September, 2024
(Photo by HAITHAM AL-SHUKAIRI/AFP via Getty Images)
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Tottenham and South Korea’s skipper was unusually quiet against Palestine, but proved why he is so adored by his nation with an inspired performance against Oman.

Following the dismissal of Spurs legend Jurgen Klinsmann, Myung-Bo Hong begun his tenure with a disappointing stalemate with Palestine in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.

But, Son was back to his prolific best in his country’s 3-1 victory over Oman, with the 32-year-old contributing two assists and a goal.

The forward is inevitable for his nation and sealed his 49th  goal for his country with a trademark finish. Son found himself on the edge of the box, before instinctively curling the ball into the bottom corner with venom which sailed past Oman’s keeper.

It was an extremely productive week with his country for Yves Bissouma as he scored in consecutive games for the African nation.

Despite not being a natural goal-getter, the Malian assumes a leadership role for his country and, after opening his Spurs goal scoring account with a rasping long range strike against Everton a fortnight ago, the midfielder was in the mood for finding the net again.

Mozambique was the next side to be on the wrong end of an accurate shot from distance by the 28-year-old, with his drilled effort from roughly 20 yards out nestling into the bottom corner.

His winner against Eswatini was yet another thumping finish which personified conviction. The midfielder has found his shooting boots recently, but an incident shortly after his goal might hamper his momentum.

Bissouma is a slight injury concern for Sunday’s North London derby, as he appeared to sustain a groin injury after a heavy knock against Eswatini. That could potentially be a big blow for Ange Postecoglou as the polarising footballer looks to be rediscovering his best form.

It was a relatively uneventful international break for Sarr, with the 21-year-old not yet deemed indispensable for Senegal.

He started the game against Burkina Faso off the right wing but was substituted just after the hour mark after failing to make an impact in a more unfamiliar position.

The second game against Burundi saw him displaced in the starting eleven and the midfielder only entered the fray in the second minute of injury time at the end of the ninety minutes.

With Bissouma a potential doubt for Sunday’s North London derby, Sarr’s freshness could come to Tottenham’s aid.

  • Radu Dragusin – Romania

After a colossal Euro 2024 with his native Romania, Radu Dragusin continued to represent his country with pride and valour.

The central defender, who stands at 6’4 tall, was once again an immovable force for his country, especially in The Tricollorii’s 3-0 victory over Kosovo.

Dragusin’s large frame and adept mobility gives him all the ingredients to dominate opposition offences and his defensive display was crucial in keeping the clean sheet.

The 22-year-old also played the full game in Bucharest against Lithuania and, despite having less of an impact as he did against Kosovo, he was the most accurate passer on the pitch, with 98% of his passes finding their target. 

That particular stat will please Postecoglou and Dragusin will be hoping that can earn him more minutes following his first start of the campaign against Newcastle prior to the break.

Upon his reinstatement into the national setup, Destiny Udogie came off the bench twice and recorded an assist in Italy’s 3-1 triumph over France.

The all-encompassing full-back had to settle for deputising for Federico Dimarco, as the Inter Milan defender was favoured after Udogie’s recent unavailability for his nation. 

Following a quadriceps injury that plagued the end of his last campaign, the full-back missed Italy’s Euro 2024 squad and had to watch his nation get knocked out in the last 16 to Switzerland from home.

Udogie reminded Luciano Spalletti of the qualities he can bring to the table, as his incisive pass split the French defence and allowed Giacomo Raspadori to fire home the Azzurri’s third against Les Blues.

For Spurs, the former Udinese player inverts from left full-back and ends up occupying central areas of the pitch. Spalletti seemed to utilise him in a central position as he came on to replace the injured midfielder Davide Frattesi, who had put the Italians in front.

Vicario had to watch his club teammate from the sidelines, as he didn’t get a single minute of action.

The imperious Gianluigi Donnarumma has been an ever-present figure in the national team for countless of years and usurping the PSG stopper would be an almost impossible feat without an injury.

It was a momentous international break for Spurs’ Swedes as both players achieved huge milestones in their career.

Kulusevski was given the honour of captaining his nation for the first time and Bergvall made his first senior appearance for The Blue and Yellow.

Kulusevski injected some of this newfound responsibility into his performance as he was the creative outlet for the Scandanavian country, as he played just behind the blistering strike partnership of Alexander Isak and Victor Gyokores.

The Triumvirate interchanged and interacted perfectly in the two Nations League games against Azerbaijan and Estonia, with the two strikers scoring three goals and Spurs’ number 21 notching a couple of assists.

Bergvall is recognised as one of Sweden’s most promising young prospects and the silky midfielder made two substitute appearances, - including his maiden international outing against Azerbaijan - with manager Jon Dahl Tomasson keen to get the talent acclimatised to international football.

A statistic emerged this past week, highlighting the amount of distance Romero had travelled last season. The total distance was 162,978 km - the equivalent of nine days of travelling and the most of any player in world football.

The Argentine was boarding a flight to South America once again as he turned out for the world champions, who are looking to retain the coveted trophy in 2026.

Two decades ago, the nation that lifted the trophy automatically qualified for the next competition, but that rule was outlawed in 2006.

However, that doesn’t seem to be an issue for Argentina as they currently top their World Cup qualification group.

The number one ranked international team swept aside Chile 3-0 in customary fashion, but their next game wouldn’t go so swimmingly.

They faltered against Colombia, losing 2-1, with Romero unable to thwart their South American counterparts. That result was only their third defeat in five years.

  • Ben Davies & Brennan Johnson – Wales

Ben Davies played the full match against Turkiye and Montenegro, captaining the Dragons against the latter.

Alongside former Spurs defender Joe Rodon, the Welsh defence lead by Davies showed resolve to keep Turkiye at bay.

Since Gareth Bale’s retirement, Davies has predominantly worn the armband for his country. Similarly to club level, the defender consistently defends with endeavour and bravery and has now racked up 88 caps for Wales, only 23 shy of Bale’s record number of appearances.

Brennan Johnson played the full match against Turkiye and was a first half substitute in their second game in their 2-1 win over Montenegro.

The Welshman, who typically plays on the flanks for Spurs, is deployed more centrally for his country with his athleticism complementing the different strengths of Kieffer Moore.

The 23-year-old was mostly ineffective in a Wales team that were protecting a two-goal lead.

  • Archie Gray- England U21

The 18-year-old played the full game in the Three Lions' 0-0 draw with Northern Ireland.

Gray was asked to play at right wing-back by Ben Futcher who has recently taken the reins after Lee Carsley was promoted to senior team duties on a temporary basis.

Back in March, Gareth Southgate revealed that Archie Gray is a player that he considers part of the senior team’s contingency plans, even though the teenager hadn’t even appeared for the U21’s yet.

  • Wilson Odobert – France U21

Spurs’ new recruit played 77 minutes in an U21 clash between France and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the former Burnley man will return to Hotspur Way full of confidence.

Despite his Spurs career still very much being in its infancy, the tricky winger has caught the eye with his confident displays.