In the second half, Lee Kang-in of Korea is having a ball fight in the Uruguay camp. /Photo = Yonhap News” xtype=”photo”/>
[TV서울=변윤수 기자] If Hwang In-beom (Olympiacos) established himself as the ‘crown prince’ in Bentuho’s ‘Build-up Soccer’, the presence of ‘2001 duo’ Lee Kang-in (Mallorca) and Oh Hyun-kyu (Celtic) stands out in the unveiled Klins Man-ho.
The national soccer team, led by coach Jurgen Klinsmann, ended its two-game A-match (match between national teams) in March with the game against Uruguay on the 28th.
Some of the colors the new coach wanted to put on were also revealed while dealing with Colombia (2-2 draw) and Uruguay (1-2 loss) in turn.
While former coach Paulo Bento focused on holding the ‘initiative’ while stably guarding the ball, coach Klinsman showed fans a cross-section of ‘attack football’ that increased attack speed and emphasized the progress of players.
Both the Colombia match (9-8) and Uruguay match (10-8) had more shots than the opponent, and the possession rate was 54%-46% and 68%-32%, respectively.
There were frequent bold crosses from both sides, and there were frequent scenes where the attacker made the opponent’s defense retreat hurriedly by breaking through the dribble.
The midfielder also went deep into the opponent’s penalty box and threatened the goal, and the ‘aggressiveness’ seemed to have increased throughout the squad.
Hwang In-beom, who scored after rushing to the penalty area against Uruguay, said earlier, “When you go aggressive, you seem to like it very much when you go to the opponent’s camp and finish the shot boldly.”
In particular, it is noteworthy that director Klinsman guaranteed ‘freedom’ so that the destructive power and influence of the second line would be doubled.
This is evident in the fact that Son Heung-min (Tottenham) received a ‘free roll’ against Colombia.
Son Heung-min, who freely roamed around the front and flanks, took advantage of the opponent’s defense’s pass mistake 10 minutes after the start of the game and became the protagonist of Klinsman’s ‘1st goal’ with a left-footed kick shot.
Coach Klinsman said at a press conference after the game, “(Son Heung-min) will continue to give free rolls as long as he can check where the goal is and score.”
It was Lee Kang-in (Mallorca), the ‘next-generation ace’, who played this role in the game against Uruguay.
Lee Kang-in, who started in two games under the Klinsman system, played as a second-line striker on the right rather than the left, which is his usual position.
Unlike the previous movement, which focused on the left-foot cross, which is a long-term skill, while falling to the left side during the attack, Lee Kang-in dug into the center and actively aimed for a shot.
Stable as if the ball were attached to his feet, and creating cracks in the defense with creative dribbles, he constantly advanced into the opponent’s camp and served as the vitality of the attack.
Regarding Lee Kang-in, who showed off his skills properly, coach Klinsman praised him at a press conference after the game, saying, “It gave the opponent a lot of trouble. Only foul could stop him,” and expressed his intention to use it in the future.
At the forefront, attention is focused on who will be chosen by coach Klinsman, a former world-class striker.
Among the three strikers competing for the starting position, it was Oh Hyun-gyu (Celtic) who immediately shook the net.
Oh Hyun-kyu, who was substituted in both games, connected Kang-in Lee’s cross with a right-footed turning shot in the 39th minute of the second half of the game against Uruguay, making the home fans go wild, but the video review (VAR) result showed that he was in an offside position, so it was not recognized as a goal.
On the other hand, Kyu-seong Cho (Jeonbuk) and Ui-jo Hwang (Seoul) failed to create threatening or impressive scenes. Instead, he focused on bringing out defenders to give space for Son Heung-min, who plays in the second line.
Coach Klinsman has put forward winning the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup as an immediate task, but he must be dreaming of doing well in the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America.
As the main strikers such as Son Heung-min, Hwang Ui-jo, and Lee Jae-seong (Mainz) will be in their mid-30s in four years, it is natural for Lee Kang-in and Oh Hyun-kyu, born in 2001, to gradually lead the Cleansman table of attack soccer in terms of generational change.
Both players were less mature than they are now, and Bento’s former coaching system, which had to produce results at the Qatar World Cup right away, was not used.
Coach Klinsman, who finished his first A-match schedule with 1 draw and 1 loss, exposing defensive anxiety despite this ‘attack strengthening keynote’, is now trying to form a team to suit his taste in earnest.
The ‘1st Klins Manho’, who was called this time, was summoned immediately after taking office, and as there was not enough time to look at the players, most of the Bentoho members who participated in the Qatar World Cup were selected.
Coach Klinsman, looking at the A match in June, said at a press conference on the 28th, “The 10 days spent with the players were a happy time. Seeing the players’ willingness and desire to develop made me look forward to the future journey more.”
