The Korea Football Association recently announced the roadmap for the Korean national soccer team from September to October. While it had been difficult to secure an opponent in the warm-up match, the two consecutive matches to be played in Europe in September were confirmed by Wales and Saudi Arabia. In addition, his opponent in Korea in October was unveiled. Tunisia will visit South Korea to take charge of the first game of the October series. 토토사이트
The second opponent has also been decided. There is no official announcement from the KFA yet, but manager Jürgen Klinsmann admitted in a video interview with reporters that he will play Vietnam in October. Vietnam was chosen as the last target to check the problem ahead of the second qualifying round for the World Cup in November, the official match.
There is a question mark. The news of the friendly match against Vietnam was already flowing, and it was not a welcome atmosphere among fans. Vietnam ranks only 95th in the latest FIFA rankings. Although the number is not everything, it is clear that the team is not rated as the top grade in Asia. It is said that coach Park Hang-seo led Vietnam to Southeast Asia for a while, but it is not the weight to objectively bring it back to Korea and spar.
In the meantime, domestic friendly matches have been conducted in connection with Japan when searching for opponents. This is a picture that has become more entrenched since the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) established the Nations League. As it became difficult for European countries to find their warm-up opponents as they held their own competitions on each A match day, South Korea and Japan have been working together to reduce costs by visiting countries that will come to the expedition. Japan will face Canada and Tunisia, which will advance to the Qatar World Cup finals in October.
Korea wanted a more defensive team. This approach takes into account the schedule of meeting Asian countries one after another in November and January. Coach Klinsmann also said, “I want to play with Brazil, Argentina, Germany, and France. But it’s not easy to match up these days. “I had a hard time finding my opponent in October,” he said.
Regarding criticism that he wanted someone weaker than us, he said, “I didn’t express it as a weak person. “I thought about using it as a period to get as much as possible when I can’t compete with a strong team,” he said. “That’s why I decided to prepare for the Asian Cup. “Since I have to play a lot with Asian countries, I decided to think about what I can do against other teams that play soccer,” he explained.
It is not an incomprehensible point. Previously, with the Asian Cup ahead, the final mock test was held with Asian countries. The previous 2019 tournament played warm-up matches against Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, and also faced Iran and Saudi Arabia during the 2017 tournament. In 2011, the problem was identified through Iran, Japan, and Syria. In general, the difference is that it focused on what kind of competitiveness it will show assuming the team it will meet when it goes up more than the Asian Cup tournament.
To be sure, Vietnam doesn’t seem to be the right place to prepare. Of course, there is a justification that it is a testbed for penetrating dense defense. Since its launch, Klinsmann has recorded two draws and two losses, and has yet to win. Above all, his scoring ability is low. He scored only four goals in four games. There was a time when he was embarrassed by drawing 1-1 with El Salvador (75th), who had not much difference in ranking with Vietnam. Klinsmann expressed regret over the strikers’ decision after the match against El Salvador.
If Vietnam plays against South Korea as an away game, it is likely to play defensively, although it may not know. The intention to find confidence in the Asian Cup by penetrating it is almost the only background for the warm-up match.
Currently, the national team has more European players than ever, raising expectations. Public opinion that wants to make meaningful use of the opportunity for the warm-up match does not see Vietnam as a nutritious opponent. Perhaps a disappointing voice can be heard until the day of the game. Since it has been achieved, it seems important to win as much as possible.