"I only saw Lee Kang-in" Hong Myung-bo-ho finished 0-0 in the first half
Sep 05, 2024
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It was the first step toward advancing to the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time. But the first half was expressionless. South Korea finished the first half without scoring in Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup against Palestine at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 5th.
Coach Hong started the game with stability. Hwang Mun-ki (Gangwon) was the only new face. First selected in the A-match, he made his debut. Other than that, he was the best member.
Hong brought up the 4-2-3-1 system. While Joo Min-kyu (Ulsan) was in the one-top, Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) stood at the second line. Hwang In-beom (Zvezda) and Jung Woo-young (Ulsan) worked together on defensive midfielders. Seol Young-woo (Zvezda) and Hwang Moon-ki were located at left and right fullbacks, while Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan) were located at center backs. Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan) defended the goal.
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Son Heung-min seemed to start fresh with a corner kick in the first minute of the game. However, it was not easy to play after just 24 hours of training due to the belated joining of European players.
There were many minor mistakes by the players in the midfield, and the passes were offbeat. In the 7th minute of the first half, Lee Kang-in solved it and Seol Young-woo shook it with a counterattack, but the finish was disappointing. Palestine boasted a solid organizational power as a dark horse who passed the group stage for the first time in Qatar's Asian Cup earlier this year and succeeded in advancing to the round of 16.
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There was also a scene that scared the blood of the Republic of Korea. The Palestinian set piece was powerful. In the 22nd minute of the first half, Tamer Seyam connected Acer Hamed's header pass with a shot. It was a goal. Fortunately, offside was declared, avoiding the crisis of losing points.
The Taeguk Warriors were in awakening mode, but the Palestinian set-piece in the 26th minute led to another header shot by Acer Hamed. The frustrating flow was breathtaking after 40 minutes in the first half.
Lee Kang-in took the lead. Lee Kang-in, who broke down the defensive wall, connected with a right-footed shot, but was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper. Two minutes later, Hwang In-beom aimed for a goal with a left-footed shot, but the ball that left his foot hit the side net.
South Korea's FIFA ranking is 23rd and Palestine 96th. The third qualifying round is the final qualifying round. The Hong Myung-ho was organized in Group B along with Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, and Kuwait. In the third qualifying round, 18 teams will be divided into three groups of six teams and play a full league home and away. A total of six teams, ranked first and second in each group, will win tickets to the World Cup finals.
It is the first round in which the fate of Korean soccer is at stake. There are 45 minutes left in the second half. It's the first round that you have to win unconditionally.
newsme@sportschosun.com
