“It’s better to run a lot than to run a lot because you can’t run. Everyone is playing in a tough situation now. “I played a lot of games last year, but I think it will be important to take good care of my condition without getting hurt.”
Kim Min-jae (26, Bayern Munich) dismissed his physical concerns. He smiled, saying, “It’s much better to run a lot than to run a lot because I can’t run.” 스포츠토토
The South Korean national team, led by head coach Klinsmann, beat Vietnam 6-0 at Suwon World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 17th in the “Hana Bank Invited National Team Friendship Match.” It settled for three consecutive wins from the away road to Europe in September to the match against Vietnam, ending the preheating for the second round of the World Cup in November and the Asian Cup finals in January next year.
The lineup was announced an hour before kickoff. Cho Kyu-sung aimed for the Vietnamese net at the front line. In the waist, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Kang-in, and Son Heung-min supported firepower with switching plays, while Park Yong-woo supported. The four backs were Kim Min-jae, Jung Seung-hyun, Seol Young-woo and Lee Ki-je, and Cho Hyun-woo wore goalkeeper gloves.
Vietnam has Nguyen Hoang Deuk, Nguyen Dinh Park and Pham Tuen Hai Three Top. In the midfield, Nguyen Thuan Ain and Do Heung-joong played, while Bo Min-jong and Tzuong Thien Ain played as wingbacks. The defense was Dantuuntai, Buihoang Baetain, and Djuiman, and the goal was guarded by Dangbanrum.
Korea drove Vietnam from the first half. In the fifth minute of the first half, Kim Min-jae shook the net with a header and scored the first goal. Vietnam tried to take the lead in attack for a comeback goal, but it was inferior in physical and basic ball touch.
South Korea did not miss the lead by increasing ball possession. Lee Kang-in and Hwang Hee-chan aimed for Vietnam’s gaps with various pattern plays and switching. Hwang Hee-chan made a round-hearted shot, but he was blocked by the defensive wall and tried to ease the regret. Around the 15th minute of the first half, Lee Kang-in’s shot, which only turned around after receiving the ball, slightly missed, causing 40,000 spectators to shout.
Vietnam made intermittent attacks, but they were not a threat to South Korea. After blocking one attack on Vietnam, South Korea calmly released the attack from the back. Vietnam made a threatening scene in the 23rd minute of the first half. It wasn’t clean, but he took the shot by reversing the gap between the Korean defense. However, he missed the goal because it was not accurate.
South Korea immediately responded. Vietnam kept its defensive formation in the box, but it relieved the pressure with a flexible dribble and pass. Son Heung-min continued with a shot, but the ball was opened because the zero was not hit yet. Since then, Hwang Hee-chan has scored. In the 27th minute of the first half, Lee Jae-sung calmly received the ball that advanced toward the penalty box at the 2.5th line and pushed it into the Vietnamese net. Hwang Hee-chan, who gained momentum after scoring, boldly broke through from the side and attempted a cross on Cho Kyu-sung’s head.
Vietnam lost two goals but did not back down. In the 30th minute of the first half, he dug into the right side and aimed for a chance and shot. South Korea started with Son Heung-min’s starting point in the 32nd minute of the first half and supplied a half-beat fast pass to Cho Kyu-sung, who Lee Kang-in penetrated. In the 35th minute of the first half, Lee Kang-in fired a free kick in front of the box as sharp as against Tunisia to cool Vietnam.
South Korea continued its lead, while Vietnam seemed to focus on defense. Mainly, Hwang Hee-chan dribbled and created space from the left side, opening the door to the Korean attack. Son Heung-min set fire to South Korea’s firepower and drove the defense in the attacking midfielder position. Just before the end of the first half, Lee Jae-sung took a shot after penetration, but he was held in the arms of the Vietnamese goalkeeper.
South Korea tasted another goal when the whistle blew in the second half. In the second minute of the second half, Cho Kyu-sung shook Vietnam’s defensive balance as Son Heung-min exchanged one-two passes. Son Heung-min competed with Cho Kyu-sung and Bo Min-jong on the ball that he pushed near the goal, and it became an own goal after being hit by Bo Min-jong’s foot. Vietnam took the ball from the Korean side for a comeback goal, but it did not create an opportunity easily.
South Korea attempted a different pattern attack with Son Heung-min hitting low at a corner kick. Vietnam also tried to find a way out of the set piece. In the 12th minute of the second half, Son Heung-min tried to finish the ball slightly raised by Cho Kyu-sung in the box with a header, but it was not threatening.
South Korea’s captain Son Heung-min shook the net in the 15th minute of the second half. Son Heung-min, who caught the ball in the box, roared accurately with his right foot. After scoring, he enjoyed the joy of clicking ceremony to 40,000 spectators gathered in Suwon. Since then, South Korea has scored additional goals in succession to secure a perfect victory.
Kim Min-jae was the first A-match goal in four years. After the game, he met with reporters at the mixed zone (joint coverage area) and said, “I got along well with Lee Kang-in from the training.” In addition, Lee Kang-in’s kick is so good that I go in with my head. Actually, I’m not that good at scoring goals. Rather than staying in the net, I try to catch the second ball. “In the match against Vietnam, I tried to be more responsible because the set piece tactic was tailored to me,” he said.
Kim Min-jae has been playing tremendous games since his time at Napoli. The same is true of Bayern Munich, which is aiming for the top of Europe. The physical burden of traveling between schedules with the national team during the A match period is likely to be great. However, he said, “It’s better to run hard than to run hard because you can’t. Everyone is playing in a tough situation now. “I played a lot of games last year, but I think it will be important to take good care of my condition without getting hurt,” he said, showing a special responsibility.
Public opinion is still not good for Klinsmann. He is criticized for working from home and not staying in Korea often. Kim Min-jae said, “Honestly, I don’t think there has been a director who has had good public opinion. The result is what the players make. Klinsmann’s role will also be important, but I think it’s important for the players to do well and turn the mood around,” he said.