The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Jürgen Klinsmann, will play in the round of 16 of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup against Saudi Arabia at Education City Stadium in Doha, Qatar, at 1 a.m. on the 31st (Korea time).
The mood is not so good. Unlike the past when he was mentioned as a potential winner by banking on the strongest member ever, his pride was tarnished as he had poor performance of one win and two mura in Group E.
Due to the draw against Jordan, he couldn't catch his breath in the final match. In the final match against Malaysia, Klinsmann continued to select key players such as Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Kim Min-jae, showing his commitment to ranking No. 1 in the group.
Considering that Korea played in the game at its best, the result was disappointing. Korea failed to dominate the game against Malaysia, which ranks 130th in the FIFA rankings. It only posted an 81 percent market share, which is meaningless. He humiliatingly allowed up to three runs on top of this.
Warning lights were also turned on for the physical fitness management of key players. Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in, who are considered the core of the Clinsman team, faced physical problems as they played full-time in the group stage.
That's not the only problem. Key players such as Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom, Lee Jae-sung, Cho Kyu-sung and Seol Young-woo did not get adequate rest as they started all matches.
From the tournament onwards, managing physical strength is not easy. You have to do your best in every game. In fact, you have put too much pressure in the group stage, where you are the only one who can prepare your physical strength. It will be an obstacle for Korea, which is expected to win the championship.
This is in stark contrast to Saudi Arabia, its opponent in the round of 16. Saudi Arabia confirmed its advance to the round of 16 early on by garnering consecutive wins in the first and second group matches. As a result, the team even managed to give nine of its key players a break in the final match.
Shortly after the final match, Saudi coach Roberto Mancini said in a press conference, "We didn't lose. But it's disappointing that we didn't win. We should always try to win no matter who our opponent is."
"We showed good performance. We recorded 17 shots against Thailand. But in soccer, we have to score. I hope we can maintain our performance and score goals in the next game," he said.
BY: 스포츠토토