“I’m satisfied with both the scoreless and the victory that I always think of as a defender.”
The national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, defeated Jordan 2-0 with goals from Lee Jae-sung and Oh Hyun-kyu in the third round of the Asian qualifying round for the 2020 North-China World Cup held at Amman International Stadium in Jordan at 11 p.m. on the 10th (Korea time).
South Korea (2 wins, 1 draw) defeated Jordan (1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss) to return to the top of the group. South Korea repaid its 0-2 humiliating loss to Jordan in the semifinals of the last Asian Cup. In past matches against Jordan, South Korea is leading the group with four wins, three draws, and one loss.
Captain Son Heung-min, who injured his hamstring, was excluded from the national team for the first time in about a year. Coach Hong Myung-bo appointed Kim Min-jae as the new captain. It was a sign that Kim Min-jae would be the center of the team in the future.
Coach Hong Myung-bo said, “Kim Min-jae is in a position to control the whole thing. I had good relationships with my seniors and juniors, so I appointed him as captain.”
For Kim, Jordan was also a revenge match. In the semifinal match of the Asian Cup, which was lost 0-2, Kim failed to play due to accumulated warnings. Kim had to watch his defense team collapse and suffer two goals.
Kim Min-jae, wearing the captain’s armband, was paired with Cho Yoo-min. The defense was unstable from the beginning. In the first seven minutes, Cho Yoo-min and Kim Min-jae missed a player coming from the back space. Subsequently, a shot hit by Abu Hashishi hit the post. If it had been following the luck of the goal, it would have been Korea’s first loss.
Over time, Kim Min-jae and Cho Yoo-min’s combination found stability. In particular, Kim Min-jae thoroughly blocked Jordan’s strikers with his skills. Jordan counterattacked, but Kim Min-jae blocked it quickly every time he faced a crisis.
The players also trusted and followed Kim Min-jae. From the back, Kim Min-jae saw the entire ground and shouted and gave instructions. The line also moved organically. It was a big difference without Kim Min-jae on the Korean defense line.
South Korea took a breather when Lee Jae-sung’s first goal. Kim Min-jae defended his back and kept the scoreless victory. Kim Min-jae was reliable in the game wearing the captain’s armband.
Kim Min-jae, who wore the captain’s armband, said in an interview after the game, “It was a difficult game in the away game, but now I’m very satisfied with the result. I’m happy to bring the most important thing.”
On his impression of losing no points, Kim said, “To enter the stadium after thinking of it as a defender is the first to score no points. I feel good because I brought three points and no points at the same time.” 먹튀검증
Regarding the weight of the captain’s armband, Kim Min-jae smiled, saying, “It’s literally a temporary captain. Rather than thinking that I was leading, I just talked well with my team members and tried to do well as a team.”
Regarding the opponent’s play, Kim Min-jae said, “Rather than trying to be rough on purpose, those players were trying to tackle now, but unfortunately, it’s the most important not to get hurt among the players, but unfortunately, I think they got hurt.”