Klinsmann is upset by ‘boos’, while Son Heung-min rests on ‘fresh judgment’. Two numbers below are causing confusion about the Vietnam War.
Despite the 4-0 victory over Tunisia, Jürgen Klinsmann, head coach of the South Korean national soccer team, was not impressed. It’s been eight months since we last met Korea Football. It’s the third time they’ve played in Korea, after March and June.
The fans don’t usually turn their backs on the A team coach. When Klinsmann’s name was called, the stadium erupted in “oohs” and “aahs”. The fans were clearly upset by the controversy over his failure to honor his promise to stay in the country.
The match against Tunisia was more about the quality of the individual Europeans than Klinsmann’s tactics. Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a picturesque A-match debut from a free kick. The second goal came two minutes later, when Lee caught his opponent off guard with a quick rebound. In the 22nd minute of the second half, Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) headed in an own goal from a corner set piece. In the 46th minute of stoppage time, Hwang Ui-Jo (Norwich City) added the finishing touch.
Klinsmann’s side claimed their first win on the road in six games after a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in England last month and three draws and two defeats. The win over Tunisia was their second straight and first at home. “It was a very satisfying game. I’m happy for the team. I told the players before the game that if we showed the same way we showed on the training field for three days, we would have a good result. We did exactly that.” Klinsmann was elated, but not overjoyed.
Klinsmann’s side beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in England last month, their “first win on time” in six matches after three draws and two losses. 바카라사이트 The win over Tunisia was their second straight and first at home. “It was a very satisfying game. I’m happy for the team. I told the players before the game that if we showed the same way we showed on the training field for three days, we would have a good result. We did exactly that.” Klinsmann was pleased, but not overjoyed.
When Son showed up at the press conference a day before the match against Tunisia, there was a lot of concern that he would be “forced out”. “He always wants to be on the pitch,” Klinsmann said, “but I told him it would be better if he didn’t play, and I advised him to rest. I was worried about the injury getting worse.” “His leg muscles are not at 100%. It was too much for him to play in the last two weeks. In the long run, he can play in the Qatar Asian Cup next January. We need a healthy Son Heung-min for the World Cup second qualifier next month.” Son Heung-min also spoke about his absence against Tunisia, saying, “I spoke to the coach. I’m proud that the players did well without me,” he smiled.
Klinsmann’s squad reconvened in Suwon on the 15th and went into quenching. The A team will play Vietnam in a friendly on Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Suwon World Cup Stadium. Vietnam is ranked 95th by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), a whopping 69 spots below South Korea (26th). Their head-to-head record in A matches is 17 wins, 5 draws, and 2 losses. Outside of bracketed tournaments like the World Cup and Asian Cup, it’s not easy to meet them. It’s been 59 years since a friendly match since 1964. The last time they met was 19 years ago in September 2004, in the Asian second round of the World Cup in Germany.
Both are underdogs. The challenge for Klinsmann is to use the game against Vietnam to develop “adaptability” against weaker opponents in the second round of the North American World Cup next month and the Asian Cup group stage next January. Breaking through the ‘dense defense’ is the biggest challenge. Scoring multiple goals is not an option, but a necessity.
Son Heung-min could also be reactivated. “I always want to play every game, I don’t have any other desire, but I have a lot of desire to play,” he said, “I’ll prepare well because it’s in Korea. If I get the chance, I want to show a good performance on the field.”