The national soccer team, led by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany), played its second Group C match against China at the Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen on the 21st. It was the first and last A-match of the year following the first home match against Singapore (16th).
One of the most eye-catching parts of this expedition was China’s attitude. It was different from the past when only unfounded confidence was revealed. Despite winning 2-1 in the first away match against Thailand, he prepared for his 37th career A match against South Korea while keeping his posture low.
The only reason was the opponent match, which South Korea overwhelmed with 22 wins, 12 draws and 2 losses before the showdown. This is because Korea’s power itself was superior. European big leaguers such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Jae-sung (Mintz), as well as Cho Kyu-sung (Mitwhelan) and Hwang In-beom (Turbena Zvezda), were also envied by China.
China is a sports powerhouse, but it knows that soccer cannot beat Korea. It was confirmed through the Super League, which crashed, and the national team, which stayed in place despite the command of numerous masters, that money could not buy skills and talents. Still, China is only cheering for Wu Lei (Shanghai Sanggang), who has left a small footprint in Espanyol (Spain). It has not been able to discover or foster next-generation stars for years.
Of course, the heat was great. According to the Chinese Football Association, more than 250 Chinese reporters visited the scene. About 150 people also entered the pre-press conference on the 20th. But no one expected the national team to do well. 안전놀이터
Local fans were no different. Shenzhen, which is adjacent to Hong Kong, is a region of particular interest in European football, including the English Premier League (EPL). Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in were similar to K-pop idols. Taeguk Warriors cheered from the moment they arrived in Shenzhen on the 19th, and sold out more than 40,000 tickets within an hour of its release. Coach Klinsmann also said, “I heard from an official from the AFC (Asian Football Federation) that it was sold out. “It showed how much I was looking forward to the game,” he said with a smile.