South Korea’s soccer reputation is not the only one in tatters after rivals Japan thrashed Germany ahead of the Asian Cup next January. Jürgen Klinsmann’s men’s national soccer team is facing a desperate need to get its first win in its sixth A match against Saudi Arabia, which is effectively a “preview of the 카지노사이트 Asian Cup.
Klinsmann’s men will face the Saudis in a friendly at St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England, on Sept. 13 at 1:30 a.m. ET. South Korea is ranked 28th in the FIFA rankings, while Saudi Arabia is 54th, and while the Koreans may seem to have the upper hand, the head-to-head record is 17-4, with seven wins, seven draws and six losses. The Saudis also defeated eventual champions Argentina 2-1 in the group stage of last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
The game against Saudi Arabia is a tune-up for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup next January. The Saudis lost 1-3 to Costa Rica on Aug. 8, but showed their strengths in the midfield by winning possession (60%). Not only are the Saudis in the midst of a five-match winless streak, but newly appointed Italian national team coach Roberto Mancini is also expected to bring his full force to bear against South Korea after a poor debut against Costa Rica.
The pressure is only going to get more intense for Klinsmann. Japan (No. 20) won their third straight A-match with a convincing 4-1 away win over Germany (No. 15) on Oct. 10 and have scored a whopping 16 goals in their last five matches (three wins, one draw, one loss). South Korea, by comparison, are winless in five games (three draws and two losses) and have scored a meager four goals. The tactics used against Wales (0-0 draw) will not be enough to win against Saudi Arabia. Playing a de facto 4-2-4 formation, South Korea failed to dominate the center of the field and were unable to generate much offense. That’s why they only had one shot on target.
They need to take advantage of Son Heung-min (Tottenham), who scored a hat trick while playing up top for his club. In the midfield, the team needs a defensive midfielder who can control the tempo and prepare for counterattacks. Above all, we need to see a clear tactical approach to the attack. Klinsmann’s ‘hard line’ theory will be given a lot of weight if the team fails to meet expectations in Saudi Arabia. He has been criticized for requesting jerseys from opposing players and being suspected of playing in the Legends Match. He should look to his own country as a cautionary tale. Following the World Cup in Qatar, Germany sacked Hanji Flick after losing two consecutive games to Japan in an exhibition match. This is the first time in the 123-year history of German soccer.
