Korea best China 3-0 in World Cup qualifier to take fifth consecutive win

Football

Published: 21 Nov. 2023, 23:32 Updated: 22 Nov. 2023, 15:53

Korea best China 3-0 in World Cup qualifier to take fifth consecutive win

The Korean national team celebrates Son Heung-min's goal during a World Cup qualifer against China at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre in Shenzhen, China on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

Korea thrashed China 3-0 in a second round match of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup Tuesday with captain Son Heung-min scoring a brace for a fifth straight win under manager Jurgen Klinsmann.

It was a repeat performance for the newly-confident Korea at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre in Shenzhen, China with the players showing solid cohesion overall.

Korea to meet China in second game of Asian qualifers

Klinsmann did not make significant changes to the starting XI from the match against Singapore on Thursday last week, apart from midfielder Park Yong-woo replacing Lee Jae-sung and fullback Kim Tae-hwan starting in lieu of Seol Young-woo.

The national team took just 10 minutes to open the scoring thanks to the attacking duo of Hwang Hee-chan and Son.

Hwang broke through China’s defense with agile movements and earned a penalty after Jiang Shenglong committed a foul while trying to exploit a loose ball that Cho Gue-sung failed to put into the back of the net. Regular captain Son stood up and converted the penalty, putting the board at 1-0 and scoring his 40th goal for the national team.

The goal seemed to take the pressure off for Korea, allowing them to play the rest of the first half with more possession while trying multiple attempts to extend their lead.

Their efforts proved effective, with Son heading in another goal from a corner in the 45th minute to end the first half 2-0. Lee Kang-in recorded the assist for Son’s goal.

Korea was able to stay firm on defense thanks to the lineup led by Kim Min-jae, although fullback Lee Ki-je seemed a bit shaky at times.

Kim was the most notable defender as he constantly made proactive movements to block attacks and allowed the midfielders to transition quickly from defense to attack with tidy passes.

The second half saw China playing more defensively with Korea creating solid chances.

Lee’s impact was visible, timing his passes well for his teammates, although he went without a goal of his own despite earning at least one in each of Korea’s past three fixtures.

Defender Jung Seung-hyun instead got on the scoresheet, heading in a ball in the 87th minute after a free kick from Son, scoring his first-ever goal for the national team.

That goal sealed Korea’s 3-0 victory, which marked the sixth consecutive match in which Korea conceded zero goals. Since the friendly with Wales on Sept. 8, Korea have allowed their opponents no marks on the scoresheet while scoring 19.

The team’s attack no longer seems to be an issue, unlike Klinsmann’s first five games in charge when Korea only managed four goals due to a lack of goal decisiveness.

Regular striker picks Cho Gue-sung and Hwang Ui-jo did not get on the scoresheet during Tuesday’s game, but their improvements in the recent fixtures — from September through Tuesday during which they both scored two goals — are a bright sign for Klinsmann, who regularly touts all-out attacking football where a striker has to score a load of goals.

Tuesday’s win was Korea’s second World Cup qualifier victory after defeating Singapore 5-0 in Seoul last week.

Tuesday’s match wraps up the international break in November.

Korea have four more matches in the second round of the Asian qualifiers left to play. The stage takes them through June next year, with the next qualifier scheduled on March 21 against Thailand at home.

A total of 36 teams, divided into nine groups of four, compete in the second round of the World Cup Asian qualifier and a total 18 teams — nine group winners and nine runners-up — advance to the third round.

Before Korea play the qualifier on March 21, they will head to Qatar in January for the AFC Asian Cup, where Klinsmann’s squad will have a chance to prove they've upped their game since the German manager took the helm in February.

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