Challenge for first win in Oman at 11pm on the 10th
Need to improve tactics including ‘La Volpiana’
Transition, speed, stamina, and condition management are also important.
Hong Myung-bo is preparing for the Oman match after the disappointing Palestine match. The key to the first win will be how much the team has changed in a short period of time.
Korea, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, will play its second match of Group B in the third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup North & Central America against Oman at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Muscat, Oman at 11 p.m. on the 10th.
On the 5th, Korea invited Palestine, a team one or two levels below them in terms of strength, to Seoul World Cup Stadium, but ended up drawing after a poor performance.
Even looking at the FIFA rankings alone, the result was even more shocking as Korea was ranked 23rd and Palestine was ranked 96th, a difference of 73 places.
Offensively, the team was not much different from the time of former manager Jurgen Klinsmann, and defensively, they showed signs of instability in build-up from the back and set-piece defense.
Director Hong, who took office amid concerns and criticism, found his position even more precarious as he missed both the content and the results.
It is regrettable, but there is no time to waste. Korea left for Oman the day after the match against Palestine and began preparing for the next match.
Korea is far ahead of Oman in objective power.
There are many players who are playing overseas, such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Kang-in (PSG), Kim Min-jae (Munich), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), and Seol Young-woo (Zvezda).
First, we need to improve on the frustrating offensive development we showed in the Palestine match.
Oman is also likely to lower its defensive line to block sharp Korean attackers, including captain Son Heung-min.
In the last game, Korea had the upper hand in possession (75% to 25%), but the process of making sharp shots was not good.
We need to review whether the tactic ‘La Volpiana’, which involves dropping one of the defensive midfielders between the central defenders to take charge of the build-up, is effective against weaker teams that do not apply pressure.
Commentator Park Moon-sung also criticized the tactics used in the match against Palestine in a phone call with Newsis on the 6th, saying, “They used Labolpiana unnecessarily.” “The purpose of using Labolpiana is to send one back down to leave three players when the two (center backs) are anxious due to the opponent’s pressure, but the opponent did not come up, but the three players built up. They should have revised the tactics quickly, but they insisted on it until the end.”
Coach Hong also needs to work on the transition process and attack speed that he cited as regrettable aspects after the draw against Palestine.
Bold breakthroughs and infiltrations that can break down dense defenses in the opponent’s area are also important.
Here, it is also important to manage the physical strength and recover the condition of key players such as Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Kim Min-jae, who played full-time in the last match.
The head-to-head record is overwhelming. Korea has won four and lost one of its five matches against Oman.
Of course, we must not let our guard down. We must not forget the ‘Oman Shock’ that we suffered at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium in 2003.
Attention is focused on whether Coach Hong, who was in a crisis due to the poor performance in the Palestine match, can turn the mood around by getting his first win in the Oman match.
[서울=뉴시스]
2024-09-08 11:50:36