Korea look to turn things around in El Salvador friendly

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Korea look to turn things around in El Salvador friendly

Published: 19 Jun. 2023, 17:14 Updated: 19 Jun. 2023, 17:42

The Korean national team trains at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon on Sunday. [NEWS1]

The Korean national team will face El Salvador at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon in a friendly on Tuesday, with Jurgen Klinsmann still looking for a win after his first three games ended with two losses and one draw.

Klinsmann's first two games in March ended with a 2-2 draw against Colombia and 2-1 loss against Uruguay, with that disappointing record continuing with a 1-0 loss against Peru on Friday.

He played the first two matches with the squad he inherited from his predecessor Paulo Bento, but Friday’s game included new players like KAA Gent midfielder Hong Hyun-seok and Portimonense SC defender Park Ji-soo alongside regular picks.

The new players displayed solid individual performance, but their lack of cohesion with the senior players failed to prevent the loss.

The bigger problem was the lack of decisiveness from the forwards. Oh Hyeon-gyu of Celtic found a number of goal-scoring chances during Friday’s game, but he squandered all of them, including missing a goal right in front of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.

Mallorca midfielder Lee Kang-in was the most notable player, creating solid opportunities throughout the game, alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan who continued to break through Peru’s defense with agile movements.

The vacancy caused by the absence of regular captain Son Heung-min — out after undergoing hernia surgery two weeks ago — was visible, especially when it came to counter attacks, as the team’s transition from defense to attack was slow without him.

Son, however, may start Tuesday’s game against El Salvador, as he completed training sessions over the weekend.

“It was a shame that I could not show the football that I am best at and like the most, but since there is a lot of time until Tuesday, I will have to see how it goes,” Son said on the sidelines of the national team training camp at Daejeon World Cup Stadium on Saturday.

Napoli defender Kim Min-jae’s absence — out for mandatory basic military training this month — was also notable, with the defense falling apart just inside 11 minutes to concede a goal.

Park, however, still showed solid performance in defense afterward and did not allow a second goal, raising the potential for his continued inclusion.

Klinsmann isn't the only one keen to find a win.

“A lot of players are hungry for a win,” Olympiacos' Hwang In-beom said during an interview at Daejeon World Cup Stadium on Sunday. “Neither I, nor the team showed a good performance in the Peru game, but we are confident that we can display a better performance in the day after tomorrow’s match.”

Hwang In-beom speaks to reporters at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon on Sunday. [NEWS1]

Hwang was not in the best form during Friday’s game, as it was his first match since the last league game with Olympiacos on May 14.

“My game sense was not the best,” Hwang said. “I could feel that my body was not reacting quick enough as I played. I should have not made trivial mistakes despite that. I am disappointed that I did.

“If I was given a chance again, I think I would be able to play at a fast pace as the manager orders.”

The game against El Salvador — a side that Korea has never faced before — however, may not be easy.

El Salvador, ranked at No. 75 on the FIFA rankings, have recently reinforced their squad with players based in the United States and Europe that have El Salvadoran roots and managed to reach the quarterfinals of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup.

They are also looking to redeem themselves after a disappointing 6-0 loss against Japan on Thursday.

Tuesday’s game will kick off at Daejeon World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]