Baek Seung-ho of the national soccer team shares joy with his teammates after scoring a goal during a friendly against Iceland at Mardan Stadium in Antalya, Turkey on the 15th. Provided by the Korea Football Association
Even when all European players such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham) were missing, Bentuho, which was centered on K-League young guns, showed a performance that exceeded expectations and expressed hope. It is a ‘green light’ ahead of the 7th and 8th matches of the 2022 Qatar World Cup Asian final qualifiers.
The national football team (33rd in FIFA ranking), led by coach Paulo Bento, won 5-1 in a friendly match against Iceland (62nd) held at Mardan Stadium in Antalya, Turkey on the 15th (Korea time).
Korea Republic took a 3-0 lead in the first half only with consecutive goals from Jo Kyu-seong and Kwon Chang-hoon (Kim Cheon Sang-mu) and Baek Seung-ho (Jeonbuk), and in the second half, Kim Jin-gyu (Busan) and Umji-seong (Gwangju) scored key goals to win a big win. Except for Kwon Chang-hoon, four players scored their A-match debut goal. According to the Korea Football Association, it is a new record for winning the most goals by 4 goals in an A match against a European country. The previous record was a 3 goal difference (4-1) victory over Scotland in a friendly match against Scotland on 16 May 2002.
It is a splendid win that cleared the eyes of concern in the first match A in 2022 without the Europeans, the core power.
Bento faced Iceland with a new combination of Kim Jin-gyu and Lee Dong-kyung (Ulsan) Baek Seung-ho in the midfield in the existing four-back format. Although the composition of the players has changed somewhat, Bentuho destroyed the opponent’s defense through the ‘build-up’ football that he had shown previously. In addition to lateral crosses, he created space through fast non-stop passes and switching in the second line, and the forward pressure from Jo Kyu-seong, who was at the forefront, was also outstanding. In the opening goal scene, Jo Kyu-seong finished a pass by Jin-gyu Kim, who hit the space behind the defense, and Chang-hoon Kwon, who linked Lee Dong-kyung’s kill pass to a goal in the first half, both are scenes that coach Bento emphasized several times before.
Jo Kyu-seong, who is constantly being selected for the national team and getting opportunities, expressed satisfaction that Bento’s unique build-up football was well rooted in the national team. Jo Gyu-seong said, “The tactical part that coach Bento wanted to do during meetings and training was a good fit.” He said, “I didn’t try to attack too quickly, and I wore the ball in midfield or in the defensive area, which made the opponent tired. Thanks to this, I was able to score goals easily and play well. overwhelmed,” he explained.
Coach Bento was equally satisfied. He gave a thumbs up saying, “Even during the short training period of a week or so, the players did a good job of fulfilling what they ordered over airborne.” Recently, Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) withdrew from their respective teams due to injuries, and the appearance of a new face is making Bento smile. Bento said, “We will look until next week to see if Son Heung-Min and Hwang Hee-Chan can join, and if it is ultimately difficult, we will find other alternatives.” will,” he said.
Meanwhile, the national team will play their second evaluation match against Moldova at the same place on the 21st, followed by Lebanon on the 27th and Syria on the 1st of next month in the 7th and 8th rounds of the World Cup final qualifiers.
Kim Ki-joong reporter k2j@hankookilbo.com
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