In the three games since Jürgen Klinsmann took charge of the South Korean national team, there has been a common weakness. It’s a lack of ‘early intensity’. In each of his previous matches, Klinsmann’s side conceded within 10 minutes of the kickoff whistle.
Klinsmann’s squad lost 0-1 to Peru in an exhibition match at 8 p.m. Saturday at Busan Asiad Stadium. Since taking over the reins in March, Klinsmann hasn’t won a game in three matches (one draw and two losses).
On this occasion, South Korea looked shaky from the start. “We struggled in the first 20-25 minutes,” Klinsmann said after the game, “Peru was building up from the back and connecting to the midfield, and our midfielders weren’t active in the one-on-one battles.”
South Korea made a mistake less than five minutes after the kickoff whistle. In the buildup from the back, a poor pass gave away the ball and led to a shot on goal. After surrendering the early lead, South Korea eventually conceded a goal just 11 minutes into the game.
The same problems that plagued the team in the previous two games were on display against Peru. In Klinsmann’s debut against Colombia, South Korea took a two-goal lead through Son Heung-min in the first half, but conceded two goals in the first five minutes of the second half to lose the game. They conceded a goal at the start of the second half and a second before they could regroup. A lapse in concentration at the start of the second half.
In Klinsmann’s second game, against Uruguay (1-2), the story was similar. South Korea fell behind to a Sebastian Coates goal just 10 minutes into the match. Hwang In-beom equalized in the second half, but was brought to his knees by Matias Vecino.
The early concession was too much of a fluke, as Peru were also shaky early on. Considering how well they played in the second half, the lack of focus early on was all the more disappointing.스포츠토토
Goals are very important in soccer. The team that scores first has an easier time controlling the game and can play more comfortably than the chasing team. On the other hand, a team that concedes an early goal will find it difficult to execute their game plan. Furthermore, it’s not easy to score against a team that’s down a goal to win. The whole game plan is thrown off.
After the Peru game, Klinsmann admitted, “It was difficult because we conceded first, and we were playing from behind.”
In the end, there are fewer variables when you don’t concede an early goal. Addressing this early lapse in concentration will be a priority for Klinsmann.