It was a disappointing debut match. The Korean national soccer team was unable to maintain a two-goal lead. Jurgen Klinsmann (59), the new national team coach, also lost his debut victory.
The Korean national team (ranked 25th in FIFA rankings) led by coach Klinsman drew 2-2 with Colombia (ranked 17th in FIFA rankings), a South American powerhouse, held at Ulsan Munsu Soccer Stadium on the 24th in an A-match evaluation match. ‘Captain’ Son Heung-min (Tottenham) had a multi-goal lead and then tied the score, so it was a more regrettable result. Manager Klinsman, who took the baton last month, also missed the victory in his debut match. At the time of his appointment, Klinsman declared attacking football, saying, “I want a 4-3 win rather than a 1-0 win,” but it was also his debut game that taught him a lesson that he could not win by attacking alone. Defensive supplementation was left as homework.
This match was the 8th A match between Korea and Colombia. Both teams added a draw, but Korea leads the match with 4 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss.
It was the A match held in Ulsan in 4 years after the match against Bolivia in March 2019, so it boasted a hot fever. Soccer fans who filled 35,727 seats sent stormy cheers to the Korean national team.
The main character of the Korean national team was ‘Son Heung-min’. He broke through the tight and tough Colombian defense and scored multiple goals. Klinsmann’s 1st and 2nd goals were all taken. In addition, Son Heung-min scored three consecutive goals against Colombia, continuing his appearance as the ‘Colombia Killer’. Son Heung-min scored a multi-goal against Colombia in Suwon on November 10, 2017, and also scored a goal in the Colombia match in Seoul on March 26, 2019. Both matches were won by South Korea 2-1. With the multi-goal that day, Son Heung-min scored 37 goals in 109 matches in his A-match career.
Klinsman’s first formation was a 4-3-3. Compared to last year’s World Cup in Qatar, the composition of the members was similar. Heung-Min Son worked with Cho Kyu-Sung (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) and Jung Woo-Young (Freiburg) in a three-top team. Lee Jae-seong (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Olympiacos), and Jung Woo-young (Alsad) coordinated the midfield, while the back four was Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk Hyundai), Kim Min-jae (Napoli), Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan Hyundai), and Kim Tae-hwan (Ulsan Hyundai). The goal was guarded by Kim Seung-gyu (Al-Shabab).
Colombia came out with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Rafael Bore started as a one-topper, with Kevin Castaño and Diego Valroyes on the flanks. James Rodriguez and Jorge Carrascal supported the attack. Matheus Uribe protected the defense. The back four was Joan Mohica, Hon Lucumi, Carlos Cuesta, Daniel Muñoz and goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
The first half was completely Korean. They dominated the game from the start. South Korea opened the attack with an accurate long pass, and Son Heung-min scored the first goal in the 10th minute of the first half. The opponent’s pass mistake went to Son Heung-min, who was near the penalty box. The goal was empty as the Colombian goalkeeper was there. Son Heung-min didn’t miss it and calmly fired a mid-range shot and shook the net.
South Korea continued to attack. On the other hand, Columbia played rough play as if the game didn’t work out as they wanted. In the 24th minute of the first half, Kim Jin-soo complained of pain from Sang-tae’s tackle. In the end, he was replaced with Lee Ki-je (Suwon Samsung). Then, Jung Woo-young drew a foul near the penalty box and got a free kick. Son Heung-min fired a sharp shot, but it went over the goal. In the 28th minute of the first half, Hwang In-beom’s left-footed mid-range shot did not lead to a goal either. Two minutes later, Jung Woo-young’s shot was deflected and caught in the upper net.
The extra goal didn’t come off as if it would explode. In the 39th minute of the first half, Korea seemed to be awarded a penalty kick, but the referee overturned the decision with a free kick. Then, Lee Ki-je’s shot was blocked by Colombia’s goalkeeper’s super save. However, there was a player who solved the frustrating situation at once. It was Son Heung-min. In the first half extra time, he scored an extra goal with a fantastic shot from a free kick.
However, as soon as the second half came, Korea’s concentration wavered. The defense collapsed easily, allowing a 2-2 tie. From the beginning of the second half, Columbia ace James Rodriguez chased a goal, and in the 5th minute of the second half, Jorge Carrascal scored consecutive goals. The left flank was hollowed out and provided a chance. 바카라
Korea tried to change the atmosphere. After tying the score, Son Heung-min enthusiastically fired a left-footed shot in the 7th minute of the second half. The ball floated over the goalpost, but it became an opportunity to bring the flow. He looked like a captain. In the 15th minute of the second half, Korea put Oh Hyun-gyu (Celtic) and Lee Kang-in (Mallorca) at the same time. Eight minutes later, Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul) and Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan) also put in. However, it was not easy to come up with a threatening and sophisticated attack play as in the first half.
In the 43rd minute of the second half, Oh Hyeon-kyu attempted a decisive shot after a stormy dribble, but the Colombian defense team cleared it in front of the goal and swallowed the disappointment. The set-piece chance that came in extra time in the second half was also unfortunately canceled. Ultimately, the match ended in a 2-2 draw.