[골닷컴, 카타르 도하] Reporter Kim Hyeong-joong = The day of battle has definitely dawned. A win against Ghana will increase their chances of progressing to the round of 16 for the first time in 12 years.
The Korean national football team, led by coach Paulo Bento, will face Ghana in the second leg of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Group H qualifier at the Education City Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the 28th at 10:00 pm (Korea time) . Korea, who drew 0-0 with Uruguay in the first leg, would get 4 points if they beat Ghana, giving them the advantage to advance to the round of 16. On the other hand, Ghana is expected to doing their very best as they struggle with one loss. In order to progress to the round of 16, Ghana needs at least one win and one draw in its remaining two matches, including the match against Korea.
Bentuho seemed to be somewhat satisfied with his performance against Uruguay. Coach Bento, who attended the official press conference on the 27th, said, “We have to show what we are good at, like the first game.” Hwang In-beom, who also attended, said, “We have to show a unified image like the first game.”
However, an evil spirit attacked an injury. Hwang Hee-chan took part in training, but coach Bento said that she would not be able to play. Next, Kim Min-jae, who suffered a calf muscle injury during the match against Uruguay, is not in good shape. Although he appeared in training on the 27th, he did not take part in the entire training session and focused on his recovery by riding his bike. Coach Bento said, “I will watch the situation until the morning of the game.”
As there is a possibility that a key player in the crime is missing, the ‘reliable man’ is also Son Heung-min. He played 35 games, including against Uruguay, under Bento’s coaching system. He is also the captain of the team and Bento trusts him completely. Even in friendly matches, he played every time, and there was even controversy about overuse.
Due to a facial injury he suffered before the tournament opened, he wears a mask to compete, but his performance was not significantly affected. In the first game, as usual, he showed the development of dribbling, counterattack, and final shot through active movements. As the main target of the opponent’s defence, he received intense checks, but he solved it cleverly and created opportunities for his team-mates.
It seems that they will suffer from the tight pressure of the opponent’s defense in this game against Ghana. However, it is expected that the attacking prowess that has been proven in the Premier League for many years can be resolved. In addition, it is possible to dig into the opponent’s defense by breathing with the midfield line like Lee Jae-sung and Hwang In-beom and front row players like Hwang Ui-jo and Cho Kyu-seong. Although they failed to score in the first game, Ghana reveal weaknesses in defending the back space, so Son Heung-min’s goal is expected.
If Son Heung-min scores a goal against Ghana, he will also have a personal record that will go down in Korean football history. So far, the most goals scored by a Korean player in the World Cup is 3 goals, but if Son Heung-min adds just one goal, he will beat Park Ji-sung and Ahn Jung-hwan to take it first place with 4 goals. This record is unlikely to be broken for now, as there is no player other than Son Heung-min who scored a goal in the World Cup finals among the current offensive resources of the national team.
