Three games, five goals, two home losses.
That’s the scorecard of the national team’s first three games under Jürgen Klinsmann (59). The attack is dull, the defense shaky. But Klinsmann has his eyes on “player development” and “Qatar.
Klinsmann’s men lost 0-1 to Peru in an exhibition match at the Busan Asiad Stadium on Sept. 16. South Korea recorded 13 shots on goal and four on target. However, they were unable to shake the Peruvian goal. A pair of shots on goal early in the first half led to a goal that was not recovered until the end. The offense was frustratingly lackluster compared to March.
After the game, Klinsmann said, “It’s upsetting to lose. We lost without scoring,” Klinsmann said. Indeed, up front, Oh Hyun-kyu (22-Celtic) and Hwang Hee-chan (27-Wolverhampton) had chances to score, but were unable to capitalize.
Two defeats in a row at home. It’s an embarrassing result for South Korea, who have been so strong at home over the past four years. Under the leadership of Paulo Bento (Portugal), South Korea has suffered just one home loss in the last four years (1-5 against Brazil).
It’s the first time the team has lost back-to-back home games since Hong Myung-bo’s squad lost to Croatia (1-2) and Brazil (0-2) a decade ago. It is also only the second time in the last 20 years that a new coach has failed to win his first three matches. The last time was in 2013, when Hong Myung-bo won five games after three draws and a loss.
It’s not a stage to worry about. While this is a true “Klinsmann’s first squad,” selected by Klinsmann himself over the course of three months, it’s also not a full squad, especially without key defenders Kim Min-jae (enlisted) and Kim Young-kwon (hamstring injury). Captain Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham) was not at full strength after sports hernia surgery and was benched against Peru. It was literally a game of second fiddle. 메이저놀이터
“We had to make changes (due to a number of variables),” Klinsmann said of the changes in formation and tactics, but added: “We looked at the new players and saw how they could develop and how they could help us on the journey to Qatar. When you see bitterness in the journey, you have to digest it well. I think this will give us a chance to do well in Qatar.” 토토사이트 순위
Despite the disappointing result against Peru, Klinsmann is looking ahead, and the team’s goal is the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar next January. South Korea hasn’t won the Asian Cup since 1960. Discovering and developing players along the way to Qatar is Klinsmann’s priority. Klinsmann’s side will play El Salvador at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium on June 20 for the second trial.