AL RAYYAN, Qatar – A sole red shirt surrounded by six white ones. A moment at the Education City Stadium on Monday perhaps encapsulated both Son Heung-min’s talent and the weight he carries on his shoulders each time he plays for South Korea.

That incident, which came in the first half of their World Cup Group H game with Ghana, may even conjure memories of that famous photograph of Diego Maradona against Belgium at the 1982 World Cup. To Koreans, Son is held in as high regard as the late, great Argentinian.

The game ultimately ended in tears for the 30-year-old – Korea lost 3-2 in a result which dimmed their hopes of making the last 16 – but he started it in motivated mood.

In the sixth minute, he glided into the Ghana half on a counter-attack only to be rudely and illegally halted, earning a free kick.

He pulled off stepovers, shimmies, cut defenders inside and out. He looked alert and always on his toes, frequently drifting into the middle from the left flank, always ready to attack the half-space between Ghana right-back Tariq Lamptey and centre-back Daniel Amartey.

There was an urgency to his play that had been missing in Korea’s first game, a drab goalless draw with Uruguay. It was as though he was out to prove a point.

He even went airborne against Ghana, attempting a bicycle kick in the 16th minute that, while not connecting, raised the pulses of the near 44,000 fans inside the stadium. The South Korean skipper is Asia’s biggest star at this World Cup and, on Monday, seemed determined to prove it.

Donning a black carbon-fibre protective mask as he continued to nurse an eye socket fracture suffered a month ago, he looked like The Lone Ranger. Problem is, he often was during the game.

He rarely got sight of goal and was often crowded out by the Ghanaian defence who double- or even triple-teamed him, with the lightning-quick Lamptey keeping particularly close watch.

Having suffocated him, Ghana then went up the other end against the run of play in the 24th minute when Mohamed Salisu lashed home from close range, before Mohammed Kudus glanced a header to double their lead 10 minutes later.

While Son was not able to have a direct impact, his presence gave his teammates more space. Two goals in three second-half minutes that arrived from the left side of the pitch – which Son occupied – helped South Korea turn the game on its head.

Cho Gue-sung was the scorer both times, first nodding in off Lee Kang-in’s cross in the 58th minute, before burying an even more powerful header from Kim Jin-su’s centre. But the comeback was short-lived.

Just seven minutes after Cho levelled the scores, Kudus steered a low shot beyond South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu to restore his side’s lead.

Referee Anthony Taylor blew the full-time whistle before South Korea could take one final corner kick, drawing the ire of Son and coach Paulo Bento, who was shown a red card for confronting the official.

But as the loss sank in and the realisation that they are now on the brink, Son squatted on the pitch and hung his head. He was in tears.

Ghana coach Otto Addo said: “We were a bit lucky, South Korea put a lot of pressure on us and we also could not... kill the game with a fourth goal. But this is football... I am very happy our passionate fight got rewarded.”

South Korea assistant coach Sergio Costa railed against the “totally unfair result”. “Not even a draw would be fair,” he sniffed.

Asked about Son’s tears, he said: “It is a normal reaction of someone who did all they could but could not win. I think we should feel sad, feel a lack of justice, but we can be very proud because we gave our souls on the pitch.”

One can only imagine what being at the World Cup means to Son, who, as a 10-year-old in 2002, insisted on wearing the same red national team jersey to school every day, such was the impact of the Taegeuk Warriors’ dream run to the semi-finals then. This is the stage he has dreamt of shining on.

Now, to stay on it, the 28th-ranked Koreans must beat Group H’s top-ranked side Portugal (world No. 9) in their final match on Friday in order to progress.

No Asian player has truly stamped his mark on a World Cup and Son, who in the estimation of many is the continent’s greatest-ever player, will no doubt loathe to see Korea bow out at the group stage for a third consecutive time.

In a way, Son had already etched his name in history when he scored one of two extra-time goals that eliminated defending champions Germany at the World Cup in Russia four years ago.

“Son is our pride,” said Hong Soon-bum, one of the hundreds who wore black masks over their eyes in the stadium.

Is he also the best player in Asia?

“Ahhhh, best in Asia, best in the world,” said the 28-year-old. “Better than Messi or Neymar. To Koreans, at least.”

Even if they do not pull off the improbable and dump Portugal – and their own talisman Cristiano Ronaldo – out of the World Cup, Asia’s favourite Son can hold his head high.