South Korea concluded with a draw against Malaysia in the Asian Cup on January 25th, finalizing the AFC Asian group stage as 2nd behind Bahrain.

Despite Malaysia being ranked 107 FIFA world ranks below South Korea, they managed to secure a sensational draw of 3-3.

As expected, South Korea took the lead first, with Jeong Woo-yeong scoring the opening goal with a magnificent header.

However, Malaysia staged a surprising comeback, scoring two goals within 10 minutes in the second half of the match.

Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min each scored a goal, putting South Korea ahead by one.

The most appalling moment in the match occurred during additional time, as South Korea conceded a dramatic goal at the end of the 15+ minutes.

The match ended with South Korea dominating ball possession at a rate of 81% and earning twenty corner kicks, yet the statistics only tell part of the story.

Beyond the numbers, the harsh reality of the South Korean national soccer team was brutally exposed, leading to immense criticisms.

This year’s national team had been praised as one of the best, with eight out of the eleven players in the field currently playing in European leagues.

However, the current results contradict the claim of “one of the best teams in South Korean history”.

Only a single goal was produced from the twenty corner kick attempts.

Despite an astonishing 81% possession rate, the team showed minimal signs of aggressive offense tactics and intensity.

Most of the shooting attempts proved futile, with goals being scored only because of clever, remarkable plays from few individuals.

Furthermore, South Korea conceded a total of six goals, just two less than the team that conceded the most goals, Vietnam.

Jürgen Klinsmann, the head manager of the South Korean national team, came under heavy criticism for his lack of engagement and tactics.

Many soccer experts commented on the non-existing strategies which led to monotonous plays and weak midfield creativity.

The absence of tactical plays drived the players into deploying constant long ball passes which immensely decreased in accuracy.

His engagement during the match was apparently scarce. Broadcasting cameras often sighted Klinsmann warming the bench, comfortably sitting with his arms crossed.

Nonetheless, there were still a few positive aspects that could be observed in midst of the criticism.

Hwang Hee-chan and Kim Jin-su made their return to the active roster from injury.

The field immediately picked up on Kim Jin-su’s pace as he caught Malaysia off guard several times through brilliant changes in offensive pattern.

Hwang Hee-chan is expected to improve the decisions made inside the opponent’s penalty box, becoming one of the team’s best scorers.

His performance will be especially crucial during the Asian Cup, as Jo Kyu-sung, the starting striker, has been experiencing droughts in goal production.

The South Korean national soccer team will most likely meet the Japan national team, assuming that both teams advance in the knockout stages.

Japan is currently considered the strongest team in the tournament as well as the team most likely to attain the champion title.

For South Korea to end its 68 year drought of an Asian Cup trophy, immediate accommodations for loopholes must be made accordingly.

Ernie Choi
Grade 11
Chadwick International