The final score was pretty ugly and it is certainly hard not to overreact when Korea loses by four goals. Already the corner of the internet that cares about Korean football is already blowing up with panic and depression. That said, Korea really only played poorly for about two minutes, even if they played really, really poorly for those two minutes. Not that everything was roses otherwise, but there were a number of signs of marked improvement since the loss to Tunisia.
Was there cause for concern? Yes but I'm not ready to write this squad off based on what boiled down to a handful of individual errors.
Hong Myung Bo started off with only minor changes to the lineup. Perhaps HMB saw what I did and wanted to try Kim Chang Soo instead of the underwhelming Lee Yong. And Kwak Tae Hwi came on for Hong Jeong Ho who was missed much of training to injury (but did come on later).
Korea looked in control for much of the first half so it came as a shock when Kim Chang Soo lost possession on a weak and errant backpass which led to a Ghana break which they converted into a goal. And again, just before halftime, Kwak Tae Hwi appeared to have been fouled, but also flopped to the ground leaving Gyan a free run at Jung Sung Ryong who provided no resistance. When Ayew scored soon after the break with some weak defending and goalkeeping, the intensity dropped off from both sides and soon the subs were on.
The closest Korea got to scoring a goal of their own was when Son hit the post with a nice move at the edge of the box, with Lee Chung Yong coming close as well, just missing the post. But while Korea looked dangerous at times, the final move was often off just a bit with timing or bad luck. Ghana ended up with 7 blocked shots which reflected the increased number of opportunities that Korea had in the box with most shots being in good opportunities.
The good news is that Korea looked far more dangerous in attack than they have in a long time. You could see some chemistry building with Son Heung Min, Yun Suk Young and Ki Sung Yueng on the left in particular. And Lee Chung Yong looked a bit sharper as well... his decision making wasn't always great but he caused a bit of trouble for Ghana with his trickery.
The bad news is that there are some glaring holes. Jung Sung Ryong looked awful, making a number of bad decisions on aerial balls and not really getting close to what were potentially blockable shots. And like 2010, there's holes in the back, particularly in the middle during transition. And Koo Ja Cheol looked as lost as ever, appearing to lose possession more often than connecting a pass.
Expectations have been lowered immensely after two losses and the biggest concern is that confidence may be low in the squad. While Korea may have better players than 2010, there are still the same problems that we had then all while facing what appears to be a stronger bunch of opponents.
Perhaps we should be looking ahead to 2018 when our core will be in their prime but this is the World Cup and there are enough pieces there to believe that if we can get a fortuitous bounce or two our way, that there's still the possibility of moving to the knockout rounds. But Tuesday night was a reminder that we are also susceptible to the ugly loss due to silly mistakes.
Player review:
Jung Sung Ryong - As I mentioned, he was awful. HMB looked to be trying to avoid controversy and build his confidence by not trying other goalkeepers, but that decision looks to have backfired with too many questions and no alternatives tested.
Kim Chang Soo - He was awful even before losing the ball. He was running around trying trickery where none was needed all in dangerous places.
Kwak Tae Hwi - His over-dramatization on the 2nd goal would have been hilarious except for the fact that it resulted in a goal. Provided an aerial presence in set pieces but not enough to offset his poor defensive showing.
Kim Young Kwon - Lippi may speak highly of the kid but he has yet to inspire confidence in the back. Assertiveness is what you want out of your CHs and it was nowhere to be seen.
Yun Suk Young - Still looked a bit away from the dynamic player he was say at the Olympics. But he showed quite a bit of improvement since the last friendly and we can hope that he can build some more chemistry with Son out on the left.
Han Kook Young - Was pretty awful going forward and still throws his body around too much in defense. He really has to step up on both sides of the ball if Korea is to have a chance. Perhaps we need to slot in Park Joo Ho who played DM at times before to provide at least more defensive consistency.
Ki Sung Yueng - Still looks off and tentative. We have to hope that he's still holding back though there were signs of the old Ki, particularly on set pieces where his deliveries were for the most part excellent. The one thing that stood out during Olympics was his hustle on defense but that appears to have gone missing. Is his knee still a concern or is it a lack of fitness from missing the last month of the season? Let's hope its a function of a friendly.
Son Heung Min - Showed a lot more quality and less hesitation and was one of the best players on the night. He still has to figure out a way to get more involved when the team is not on the counter.
Koo Ja Cheol - You would have to imagine that without the armband that he'd be on the bench. You cannot have your 10 lose the ball as much as he did. If I had one change, it would still be to move him out. There's a good player in there somewhere but I don't think he'll be able to turn it around in a week.
Lee Chung Yong - Showed a lot more than last week and was actually able to create space and danger with his dribbling. He even had a good, powerful shot which is rare for him. He looks to be rounding into form at the right time.
Park Chu Young - Magnificent fail of a bicycle kick aside, he was otherwise hard to notice. He may have finally reached the point where lack of regular playing time is starting to affect his play. He has to find a way to get more involved.
Kim Bo Kyung - I thought it was a terrible performance from him. Looked so predictable and defenders had no trouble handling him. Not sure why HMB continues to use him so early.
Lee Keun Ho - While his touch improved from last match, his decision making continued to be poor.
Yong Lee - Was less terrible than KCS, but only just. The right back situation is a large concern of mine as it was soft all night.
Ji Dong Won - Less of an impact though most of the energy of the match had fizzled by the time he had entered.
Park Joo Ho - Good to see that he's able to play though didn't see much of him by the time he got on.
