[인터풋볼=파주] Reporter Shin Dong-hoon = “Even if I do my best, I may not be able to make it to the round of 16.”
After qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, South Korea were tied in Group H with Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana. Although the situation is relatively better than that of neighboring Japan, which is in the same group with Spain and Germany, they are all difficult opponents.
First of all, Portugal, the homeland of coach Paulo Bento, is a powerhouse representing Europe. Although it was difficult to get to the World Cup through the playoffs, his strength is not inferior to being classified as a candidate for the championship. Portugal is home to many world-class players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Hubin Dias.
The same goes for Uruguay. It’s not as strong as it was in the early-mid 2010s, but it’s still strong. Veterans such as Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, and Diego Godin are still alive and well, and new deities such as Darwin Nuñez and Rodrigo Bentancur who take charge of Uruguay should also be noted.
Ghana is weak compared to Portugal and Uruguay, but it is an opponent that cannot be ignored. Ghana, who reached the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, has many talented players, including Thomas Fati. According to a recent local report, there is even a movement to promote the naturalization of dual citizenship players in the English Premier League (EPL) such as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Talip Lampty. If naturalization proceeds as planned, it will be a major disaster for Korea.
As such, all three teams are never complacent. There is not always a one-win offering at every World Cup. Bento also acknowledged this. At a press conference held at the 1st floor auditorium of the Paju National Training Center (NFC) at 2 pm on the 7th, he said, “I was tied to a difficult group. Actually, there is no easy group in the World Cup finals. This is high. To be honest, even if I do my best, it may not be enough to get to the round of 16.”
He continued, “I’m not saying I’m going to give up. I’m just saying that you can’t just do well. I will increase my competitiveness as much as possible. I will achieve the goals I set after that. I will prepare diligently by analyzing all of Uruguay and Ghana, including my home country, Portugal. In the meantime, I will pursue it. “I plan to keep the build-up football I’ve been doing, but in the finals, I think I’ll focus more on the defensive organization. It won’t change the basics abruptly, but the way the game is run will be different,” he said.
Bento said, “The final list has not been confirmed yet. The door is open to everyone.” He has been in charge of the national team for the past 4 years, and the player composition and tactical framework have been established, but with the World Cup about 7 months ahead, it was like saying that he had not yet completed it in detail due to various variables. Preparations to risk everything to fight Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana have now begun in earnest.
Photo = Interfootball reporter Jang Seung-ha, Korea Football Association
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[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
