“It is the coaching staff’s task to properly utilize key players such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain).”
This is what Hong Myung-bo (55), coach of the South Korean national soccer team, said. Will there be any drastic change in tactics in the second match against Oman.
South Korea will face Oman in the second Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup at Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Muscat, Oman, at 11 p.m. on the 10th (Korea time).
South Korea, ranked 23rd by FIFA, was hampered by a 0-0 draw with 96th-ranked Palestine in the first match of the third qualifying round for the North-China World Cup. Oman, ranked 76th, was defeated by Iraq, ranked 55th, by a score of 0-1.
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who took the helm of South Korea in July, drew helplessly in his return match for the first time in 10 years. He failed to get results even after running the best lineup including Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord).
Coach Hong Myung-bo said in an official press conference after the match, “We will prepare for the match against Oman considering the physical condition of the players. It is the coaching staff’s responsibility to make good use of Lee Kang-in, Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers).”
It was a tactical defeat. Even with the establishment of one of the best strikers in Asia, Korea was in trouble with underdog Palestinians. Korea kept high ball occupancy ratio, but failed to target Palestine. This is a typical problem from the Asian qualifying round. It had difficulty in effectively breaking down the opponent team’s defense even if it went down deeply.
Son Heung-min, the top scorer in the English Premier League, has also been isolated. “He prefers to play on the left and he’s good at it,” Hong said before his first official training session on Tuesday. However, as he failed to catch the ball, he came up to the midfield and exchanged one-two passes in person. As the ball was far from the goal, Son’s destructive power was significantly reduced.
In the midst of this, only Lee Kang-in struggled on the right side. Even though two or three opposing defenders were surrounded, he solved Korea’s offense by dribbling through thick dribbles and sharp crosses. He also showed off his military-style attack by breaking the Palestinian defense with his personal ability.
However, Korea cried due to lack of scoring ability. Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min missed critical chances one by one. Sharp free kicks were blocked by the goalkeeper.
Despite the scoreless performance, the team almost gave up the game completely. Wessam Abu Ali (Al Ahli) faced the goalkeeper one-on-one at the end of the second half. Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan HD) barely managed to hit the ball to avoid defeat. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also said, “Palestine almost beat Korea.” Fortunately, Korea finished the match 0-0.
The Palestinians, who are at war with Israel, were having difficulties in forming their own players. Rami Hamadech, who played full-time in the match against the U.S., has been invincible for one year. Coach Markram Dabouv even said, “The Palestinians have built up their own squad to the fullest, even under tough circumstances. This has helped us achieve our best results.” 먹튀검증
He was also greeted with an unprecedented booing ceremony at Seoul World Cup Stadium, his home ground. Korean home spectators including the Red Devils criticized Coach Hong Myung-bo and Korea Football Association (KFA) President Chung Mong-kyu by saying “Pinoki Hong” and “The association is third class” in their nomination process.
Although it seems difficult to reverse public opinion with one game, Korea is in a hurry to win. Hong Myung-bo arrived at Muscat International Airport in Oman on the 7th and completed local adaptation training at Alshiv Stadium in the afternoon of the same day. South Korea was tied to Group B with Palestine, Oman, Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait in the third qualifying round.