With biggest stars absent, Korea learn that football is a team sport

Home > Sports > Football

With biggest stars absent, Korea learn that football is a team sport

Published: 16 Oct. 2024, 13:11 Updated: 16 Oct. 2024, 16:17

PAIK JI-HWAN
paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr

The Korean national team celebrate during a 2026 World Cup qualifer against Iraq at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

Korea pulled together a mostly cohesive and at times dominant 3-2 win over Iraq in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, a contrast to the stumbling disorder that dominated manager Hong Myung-bo's first two outings with the team last month.

While it was not perfect — the score clearly shows that defense is still an ever-present problem for the Taeguk Warriors — the overall performance was that of a team of players that have realized they are a team, not 11 individual players that happen to find themselves on the same pitch.

It wasn't only veterans like Hwang In-beom and Lee Jae-sung, who have consistently been core parts of the national squad for years, that had a good night on Tuesday, with newer picks like Bae Jun-ho, Oh Se-hun and Oh Hyeon-gyu displaying their individual talent in tandem with the rest of the squad.

Bae, who started his first senior team match on Tuesday, was agile on the left flank and not afraid to attempt anything in Iraqi territory. His pace coupled with Oh Se-hun’s positioning skills led to Korea’s first goal.

Korea's Bae Jun-ho, right, dribbles during a 2026 World Cup qualifer against Iraq at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

Bae was quick enough to run all the way toward the penalty area during a build-up after which he fed the ball to Oh Se-hun, who tapped in it to take the lead.

That cohesion — the play started with Hwang, went though fullback Seol Young-woo to Bae and ultimately Oh Se-hun — has been sorely lacking for a Korean squad that, in recent years, has started to rely on the personal talent of big names like Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan. The Premier League pair, both out with injuries on Tuesday, took a goal apiece against against Oman last week, but both goals were clearly the result of their own ability rather than any real buildup.

Korea’s second goal against Iraq was the result of more teamwork.

Winger Moon Seon-min, who made it to the squad to replace injured Hwang Hee-chan, broke through the defense and made a pass in the penalty box that went straight into the path of an Iraqi defender, but Lee was quick enough to snatch that ball and feed it to Oh Hyeon-gyu, who was in the right position unmarked.

The goal not only showed Moon’s individual ability to break through from the edge, but also how many other players were up to support the attack.

Korea’s third goal that Lee Jae-sung scored by latching a cross with a diving header also came thanks to the combination of two factors: Lee Myung-jae’s accurate cross and the veteran midfielder’s proactive movements inside the penalty area.

Korea's Lee Jae-sung, right, celebrates during a 2026 World Cup qualifer against Iraq at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

Tuesday’s overall performance marks a significant improvement from the team’s performance in the goalless draw with Palestine on Sept. 5, during which Korea failed to make any solid chance through teamwork and made ineffective passes for the majority of the game, and even than the 3-1 win over Oman a few days later.

The two goals Korea conceded, however, leave some problems to resolve for Kim Min-jae, Cho Yu-min and manager Hong.

The center-back duo did not react quickly to a cross toward Aymen Hussein, who scored with an over-head kick, failing to shut down the Iraqi forwards’ movements.

A header from Ibrahim Bayesh in stoppage time was also a direct result of the Korean defenders’ failure to man mark the Iraqi midfielder.

Being more aggressive in aerial duels is a key for Korea’s defense.

Despite conceding two goals, Kim, who had the armband in Son's absense, was satisfied with the back line.

“I am still happy even though we conceded two goals at home,” Kim said after Tuesday’s match. “I feel happy that we were able to secure six points with two straight wins at an important time. I played alongside Yu-min for the first time in a long time, but it wasn’t difficult as I’ve played with him before. Every player has good abilities, so I’m fine playing with anyone.”

Kim and Cho played together during the 2018 Asian Games, where they won a gold medal and earned a military exemption.

Korea's Cho Yu-min, center, vies for the ball during a 2026 World Cup qualifer against Iraq at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi on Tuesday. [JOONGANG ILBO]

“We eventually conceded a goal to Hussein, and I was disappointed about defense cohesion but more disappointed about myself,” Cho said. “I am not tall, but I don't feel that I'm lacking when it comes to aerial duels.”

Goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo, meanwhile, looked sluggish on Tuesday. The veteran goalkeeper still played both games for Korea during the October international break despite former No. 1 Kim Seung-gyu’s return to the national team after a long absense due to injury.

But Hong still backed Jo after the Iraq match.

“First of all, Jo has been playing well, and I was a little worried about Kim’s performance because he came after recovering from injury and playing two or three league matches,” Hong said. “Jo has started games without big mistakes. It is not that Kim doesn’t fit my tactics or anything.”

Kim played as No. 1 pick under former managers Paulo Bento and Jurgen Klinsmann and made it to the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup rosters, but has not played a national team game since sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in January this year.

Hong has about a month to prepare for the November break, during which Korea face Kuwait and Palestine.

Despite facing criticism in the beginning for relying too much on individual players’ abilities, he has secured three wins and one draw in the third qualifying round to sit Korea at the top of Group B.

The result is a contrast to his run during his first stint as national team manager in 2013, when it took Hong five games to secure a win. His first spell ended after failing to secure a single win at the 2014 World Cup.

But seeing success with Ulsan HD, where he led the team to its first back-to-back K League 1 titles from 2022 to 2023, earned him the national team job again in July.

Hong’s squad next face Kuwait on Nov. 14.

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