On the same day, two different national teams revealed the exact same weakness. England was overly meek against Uruguay, and Korea was overly mild against Ivory Coast. They had talent. They had tactics. What they lacked on a rough stage like the World Cup was the one player who makes opponents uncomfortable and changes the mood.
The Telegraph of Britain said on the 29th (Korea time) that England needs a fighter or it will pay the price at the World Cup. On the 28th, Phil Foden went down after a rough tackle by Uruguay defender Ronald Araújo, but England's players were quiet. Foden endured the pain alone; no player ran to protest to the referee or to pressure the opponent.
By contrast, Uruguay was different. Centered on Araújo and Federico Valverde, they unsettled the referee and the opponent throughout the match. They collided roughly, constantly protested, and hovered on the edge of the line. It wasn't flashy. Instead, they steered the game in the direction they wanted.
The Telegraph said that Uruguay had something England did not. In a tournament, simply having technically gifted players is not enough. You need players who can intimidate opponents, put pressure on referees and, when necessary, break the flow roughly.
This story applies equally to Hong Myung-bo's team.
The Korea national team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, collapsed 0-4 to Ivory Coast on the 28th. They employed a defense-first tactic with a back three and wing-backs. There were many defenders and an intention not to be outmuscled. The result was the opposite. They could not stop individual skills, and counterattacks were repeatedly conceded. They conceded two goals in the first half to Evan Gesah and Simon Adingra, and conceded again in the second half from a corner and a counterattack.
The bigger problem was the content. Korea committed only eight fouls in 90 minutes and received no bookings. Even while being dragged around by Ivory Coast's rough pressure and quick transitions, there were almost no scenes where they stopped the game, broke the flow or made the opponent uncomfortable. Lee Kang-in's shot hit the post, but the mood did not change. Korea remained too meek until the end.
The World Cup finals are different from friendlies. Objectively stronger opponents appear. If you expect to get by with only refined football when you are outmatched in technique, organization and physicality, it will be hard to hold on. Someone must collide roughly, and someone must send the message to the opponent that "you will not play comfortably today." The criticism the Telegraph made of England applies almost exactly to the Korea national team now.
The problem is that Korea has almost no players of that type. Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Hwang Hee-chan are players who can change the flow. Kim Min-jae has presence in defense. But there is no player who will relentlessly harass the opponent and, if necessary, accept a foul or two to change the tone of the game. Korea in the Ivory Coast match was too kind and too mild. That is why they collapsed more easily.
In that respect, one name is especially regrettable: Jens Castrop (23, Mönchengladbach).
The Korea Football Association on the 29th released Castrop from the squad with an ankle injury. There is no replacement. As a result, the likelihood has increased that Korea will go into the April 1 match in Austria and even the World Cup finals without having properly tested Castrop.
Castrop is a type of player almost absent from the current national team. He is rough. He runs a lot and collides hard. He commits many fouls and picks up many cards. In the 2023-24 season, he had eight yellow cards and one red in the first 11 matches after the opening. That can be a drawback. At the same time, it is a trait that is essential in tournaments.
Castrop does not let opponents play comfortably. He chases roughly, blocks with his body when necessary, and constantly forces referees and opponents to pay attention. He was a player even more needed in Hong Myung-bo's planned back three and wing-back system. That was especially true after Hwang In-beom, Park Yong-woo and Won Du-jae sequentially withdrew, reducing the intensity and activity of the midfield press.
In the Ivory Coast match, Park Jin-seop, Kim Jin-gyu and Baek Seung-ho took turns controlling midfield but failed to intimidate the opponent. They circulated the ball. They ceded space. There was no fight.
The Telegraph said of England that it is losing the "darkness" and relentlessness needed to survive in tournaments. The Korea national team is the same now. They are too proper, too gentlemanly. The World Cup does not wait for such gentlemen.
What Hong Myung-bo's team needs now is not only tactical changes. They need players who make opponents uncomfortable, change the flow and sometimes make the game rough. Castrop was supposed to fulfill that role. That is why his injury and departure hurt so much.
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