South Korea's national team led by coach Hong Myung-bo collapsed. Beyond a simple defeat, the problems that appeared throughout the match translated directly into the result.
South Korea lost 0-4 to Ivory Coast in a friendly at Milton Keynes Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, England, on the 28th (all times Korea). It was a match in which they were outplayed beyond the scoreline.
There was regret in attack. They hit the post three times and failed to convert scoring opportunities. However, the bigger problem was defense. They deployed a three-back but organized movement was hard to find, and repeated gaps were exposed in maintaining line spacing and cover timing. Even though the opponent made some rotations, they gave up the flow throughout the match and were dragged along.
It should be taken into account that this was not the full-strength squad. Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in started on the bench due to fitness issues, and Hwang In-beom was left off the call-up list due to injury. Jens Castrop, who was used on the flank, also was not named in the starting lineup. Even considering these circumstances, however, a four-goal defeat was hard to accept.
Reactions poured in immediately after the match. Particularly on China's largest soccer community, cool-headed assessments followed. One user pointed out, "Korea is a team that has benefited from being in Asia. Even as substitutes this gap should not appear," and another user strongly criticized, "In friendlies you can trust Japan but you should not trust Korea. Right now Korea is not at a level to be compared with Japan."
Questions were also raised about tactics and leadership. Reactions saying, "The national team lacks direction now. It's questionable whether coach Hong Myung-bo is properly leading this team," were followed by criticism that, "Even though he is a coach who used to be a defender, conceding four goals is hard to understand. There is no organization at all."
There was also regret over midfield management. Analyses continued that, "When Hwang In-beom was absent, the passes connecting to the front stopped," and "there is a lack of players in midfield who can unlock the game," and some went as far as the extreme assessment that "at the current strength China could beat Korea within a few years."
Analysis of the match content continued. Alongside views that "they were unlucky, hitting the post three times," tactical critiques appeared that "after pushing up the lines they were repeatedly exposed to counterattacks." At the same time, concerns that "Korean soccer has entered a stagnation" were not few.
Views on Asian soccer as a whole also followed. Reactions such as "it is questionable whether Asian teams can show competitiveness against world powers" and "how many teams from this continent can get out of the group stage at this World Cup?" emerged, creating a mood that Korea's poor performance is linked to the continent's overall competitiveness.
Meanwhile, there were assessments acknowledging Ivory Coast's strength. Opinions included, "They are Africa Cup of Nations champions and a team that conceded no goals in World Cup qualifying. Their basic strength is strong," and there were projections that "they could be a more threatening dark horse in this World Cup than Japan or Ecuador."
[OSEN]