Korean soccer begins on the 13th with the aim of winning the Asian Cup for the first time in 64 years… Lee Kang-in leaves at the last minute in the first match of the group stage against Bahrain on the 15th… Vaccination before the competition
Korean soccer, aiming to win the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup for the first time in 64 years, completed all preparations by winning the final mock test against Iraq.
The national soccer team, led by coach Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany), won 1-0 thanks to Lee Jae-seong (Mainz)’s winning goal in a friendly match against Iraq held at New York University Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 10 p.m. on the 6th (Korean time). won.
This is their 6th consecutive win in international matches, starting with the friendly match against Saudi Arabia in September last year. They also went 7 consecutive games without giving up a goal.
The match on this day was the last actual mock test ahead of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, which begins in Qatar on the 13th. Iraq is a team that has the potential to advance to the round of 16 in the finals.
Since the 26th of last month, Klinsmann has been in condition through indoor training at a hotel in Seoul with some European and K-League players, including Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and from the 5th, even Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), who is late due to his team’s schedule, has been training. I joined and trained as a complete team.
Coach Klinsmann showed mercenary skills in the first half, focusing on the purpose of an evaluation match.
Key players such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) were all excluded from the starting list. It is a scene that takes into consideration the physical burden of those who have been on their team’s schedule until recently.
In addition, there was an intention to improve the condition of players who had lost their sense of play due to the break in the K-League and the affiliated team’s league, and to check new combinations.
Oh Hyun-gyu (Celtic) was in the front line, and in the midfield were Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart), Hwang In-beom (Zvezda), Park Yong-woo (Al Ain), Hong Hyun-seok (Gent), and Lee Jae-seong.
The back four line consisted of Lee Ki-je (Suwon), Kim Young-kwon, Jeong Seung-hyun, and Seol Young-woo (Ulsan HD). Seung-gyu Kim (Al-Shabab) wore the goalkeeper gloves.
In the 19th minute of the first half, Jung Woo-young aimed for the goal with a header, but it went straight at the goalkeeper. In the 23rd minute, Oh Hyun-gyu hit Lee Ki-je’s cross non-stop with his right foot, but this time it also headed directly towards the goalkeeper.
In the 36th minute of the first half, Oh Hyun-gyu hit a pass from Lee Jae-seong with his right foot, but it missed the goal.
Jaeseong Lee broke the silence in the frustrating flow. In the 40th minute of the first half, he scored a left-footed shot from near the right corner of the penalty box, splitting Iraq’s net. It was an exhilarating room.
This is Lee Jae-seong’s A-match goal, scored two years and two months after the final qualifying round for the 2022 Qatar World Cup in November 2021. This is his 10th goal in total. Coincidentally, the opponent at that time was Iraq.
The first half ended with a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Coach Klinsmann put into effect the best lineup that would be used in the Asian Cup finals.
Oh Hyun-gyu, Jeong Woo-young, Jeong Seung-hyun, Lee Jae-seong, and Hong Hyun-seok were removed, and Jo Gyu-seong (Midtwillan), Hwang Hee-chan, Kim Min-jae, Son Heung-min, and Lee Kang-in were put in.
Two minutes into the second half, Cho Gyu-seong’s powerful right-footed shot hit the defender’s body and was caught by the goalkeeper, so unfortunately it did not result in a goal.
In response to Korea’s ultra-luxurious offensive line, Iraq naturally lowered its overall line to a defensive position. Korea’s ball possession rate has increased.
Lee Kang-in’s brilliant pass in the 21st minute of the second half, when the team was struggling against Iraq’s tight defense, stood out. He made an accurate pass toward Son Heung-min, who was penetrating into the penalty box.
Son Heung-min won the ball after a contest, but fell right before shooting. He protested that it was caught in the goalkeeper’s hands, but it was not accepted. On this day, video review (VAR) was not used in the evaluation match.
In the 30th minute of the second half, Son Heung-min took the decisive opportunity by beating the goalkeeper. The Iraqi goal was empty, but Hwang Hee-chan’s shot after receiving Son Heung-min’s pass hit the defender’s body and went off.
Lee Kang-in got into a heated exchange with his opponent in the 40th minute of the second half and was sent off after receiving a red card due to accumulated warnings. I’m glad that this scene came from an evaluation match and not an actual game.
The team will continue to warm up in Abu Dhabi and then move to Doha, Qatar, the site of the final match, on the 10th.
Korea, belonging to Group E, will start with the first match against Bahrain on the 15th, followed by Jordan on the 20th and Malaysia on the 25th.
Korea has not won the Asian Cup since achieving two consecutive wins in the inaugural tournament in 1956 and the second tournament in 1960.
[서울=뉴시스]
2024-01-06 15:18:00
#Lee #Jaesungs #winning #goal #Klinsmannho #wins #Iraq #final #mock #test
