Son Heung-min and Kim Min-jae are holding hands after a 5-0 win between South Korea and Singapore in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asian region second qualifying round match held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, Seoul on the afternoon of the 16th. Sangam = Reporter Kim Min-gyu mgkim1@edaily.co.kr /2023.11.16/
Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), who is considered the world’s best defender, accounts for as much of the national soccer team as Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton). His value was clearly revealed in the final mock test before the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup.
The national soccer team, led by coach Jurgen Klinsmann, won 1-0 in a friendly match against Iraq held at the New York University Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the 6th (Korean time). In a somewhat frustrating performance, Lee Jae-seong (Mainz)’s scathing left-footed mid-range shot gave Klinsmann the victory.
On this day, Klinsmann played the game without a large number of starting players. Kim Min-jae, who had been traveling between Europe and Korea for several years and had a tight schedule, also watched the first half from the bench. The defensive line without him was greatly shaken from the beginning. Just two minutes into the game, he gave up space behind Iraq’s Ibrahim Bayyesi and faced Seung-gyu Kim one-on-one. The build-up starting from the back was not as smooth as recent games.
The atmosphere changed after the introduction of ‘Monster’ Kim Min-jae. At the start of the second half, Kim Min-jae was replaced by Jeong Seung-hyun (Ulsan HD) and stepped onto the pitch. With the introduction of junior Kim Min-jae, the position of Klinsmann’s final defensive line has improved. Naturally, the amount of time the opponent’s team possessed the ball increased.
Minjae Kim. Photo = KFA
It cannot be said that it is just the effect of Kim Min-jae’s input. This is because Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan, and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) entered the field at the same time. However, with Kim Min-jae, who has the ability to keep the ball, pass, and move forward, deployed to the back, there is no doubt that they were able to deal with Iraq’s pressure relatively easily in the second half.
Although Klinsmann is considered to have the best members of all time, their defense is considered their ‘Achilles’ heel’. Even in the actual Iraq game, some players failed to instill confidence in fans due to their frequent erroneous play. The shoulders of Kim Min-jae, who is considered the core of the defense, are likely to become even heavier.
Kim Min-jae, monster defense (Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Shin Hyun-woo = The 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asian Region 2nd Qualifying Group C first match between Korea and Singapore held at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 16th. Minjae Kim is looking ahead after blocking the ball. 2023.11.16 nowwego@yna.co.kr/2023-11-16 20:25:12/
In short-term tournaments, where joy and sorrow are often decided by a single goal, there is a saying in the soccer world that ‘defense is more important than attack.’ This is why both great expectations and concerns are focused on Kim Min-jae, who must take center stage at the back.
The Klinsmann, which sailed with the goal of winning for the first time in 64 years, will enter Doha, Qatar, the site of the decisive battle, on the 10th. Korea, a member of Group E, will play the first match of the group stage against Bahrain on the 15th. Afterwards, they will clash with Jordan and Malaysia one after another at five-day intervals. If Klinsmann advances to the tournament as first place in his group, there is a significant possibility that he will face Iraq, whom he defeated with difficulty, in the round of 16.
Reporter Kim Hee-woong sergio@edaily.co.kr
2024-01-07 12:01:00
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