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Korea hoping to get its offense untracked
July 25, 2007
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Korea faces Iraq in the semifinal at 7:20 tonight in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Coming off a dramatic, penalty-shootout victory, Korean players are riding high on momentum, as they hope to reach their first Asian Cup final since 1988. Iraq is ranked 80th in the world, 22 spots lower than Korea. But Iraq also has some major momentum, having reached its first semifinal since 1976. Iraq was eliminated in the quarters in the last three Asian Cups. Plus, Iraq staged the tournament’s early upset, defeating pre-tournament favorite Australia 3-1 in a group stage match. Korea did beat Iraq 3-0 in a June friendly on Jeju Island, but as Korean forward Cho Jae-jin told Yonhap, “I’ve seen them play at the Asian Cup, and they’re a much different team than we faced in June. This will be a tougher match for us.” There’s another reason Korea should not underestimate Iraq. At the 2006 Doha Asian Games, Korea met Iraq in the semis, but lost 1-0. Korea had hoped to win its first Asian Games gold in 20 years. Assistant coach Hong Myung-bo, who was also on the staff at the Asiad, told Yonhap that his team took Iraq too lightly at the time, and that, “We have to prepare mentally so that we don’t experience the same fate this time.” Ten Korean players on the Asian Cup squad played in that loss in Doha. Among them, Oh Beom-seok, Kim Chi-woo and Kim Jin-kyu have been the mainstay on defense, and Lee Chun-soo and Choi Sung-kuk have been the star forwards. Iraq has retained key players from its Asiad squad, including forward Younis Mahmoud, midfielders Hawar Mohammed and Nashat Akram, and defender Bassim Abbas. That core also lifted Iraq to a stunning semifinal berth at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Akram, 23, could become the first Iraqi to play in Europe, according to a Reuters report last Sunday. Akram said his agent is negotiating with clubs in England, Spain and Italy, including Sunderland of the English Premier League. Mahmoud will also command much attention from the Korean defense. The 24-year-old captain has scored 30 goals in just 48 matches for the national team and is second in the Asian Cup with three goals. As a team, Korea has three goals in regulation time in four Asian Cup matches so far. Seo Hyung-wook, an analyst for cable station MBC-ESPN, said the Korean defense has grown more stable after each game, and players have been cutting down on miscues in their own zone. “I was duly impressed with the way Kang Min-soo played with more confidence against Iran,” Seo said of the 21-year-old defensive back. “Kim Jin-kyu showed leadership for the defense, and midfielders also provided help in the backfield.” The analyst, however, said Korea’s offensive tactics have been too simple and predictable throughout the tournament. Neither of the team’s featured strikers, Cho Jae-jin and Lee Dong-gook, has scored a goal at the Asian Cup. “At the tournament stage, I know it’s difficult for any team to take the risk in making significant tactical changes,” Seo said. “But I think coaches might want to consider using two strikers up front. Whatever can rejuvenate this offense is worth a try.” Lee Young-moo, head of the Korea Football Association’s technical committee, told Korean reporters in Malaysia that Korea should take advantage of a plodding Iraqi defense, which he called its “weakest link.” “I noticed that Iraq’s defense is slow and gives up a lot of space in the box,” Lee told Yonhap. “Speedy wingers on each side can rattle Iraqi defenders and expose their weaknesses.” By Yoo Jee-ho Staff Writer [jeeho@joongang.co.kr] |
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