The lineup was as expected despite the team sheet having a 4-4-2 nominal formation. And the beginning of the match unfolded that way as well, with Korea having lots of possession but staying cautious and Russia being defensive and patient as well. Chances were few and mostly caused by quickness and motion to catch slower Russian defenders out of position. Son was the benefit of these, with good work by Park Chu Young to either clear out space or smartly deliver the headed pass that gave Son room to use his speed and get some space. Unfortunately, Son's shooting betrayed his youthful eagerness and he booted them both far off target.
The key for most of the first half was seeing where Ki was positioned. For a good portion, he was positioned nearly as a third CH and Korea struggled for creativity up front. At 35 minutes or so, perhaps with Hong Myung Bo hoping to catch Russia fatiguing, Ki moved further up and the chances opened up though there were still not many great chances.
All match I realized that both goalkeepers were punching balls out rather than grabbing them, so it was of course when the Russian GK tried to catch Lee Keun Ho's speculative shot from distance that the ball slipped through the gloves and into the net. The lead was deserved even if the goal probably wasn't.
Unfortunately, Hong Jeong Ho had to come off due to leg cramps and it would have a very large impact, both in terms of the miscommunication in back as well as one sub wasted. The former resulted in Russia's equalizer when Hwang Seok Ho's clearance took an unfortunate angle right into Russian player which in the chaos ended up being kicked into the net. Perhaps there was a handball or an offside, but what stood out as well was the fact that the Russian attackers were left free to run in unmarked. Maybe if HJH had stayed in, he would have called in for help. Maybe not. It certainly was a bad break and invigorated the Russians.
More problematic with HJH having to be subbed off was the increasing fatigue of our attackers. With two subbed burned, it became a large problem when both Koo Ja Cheol and Son Heung Min slowed down. Throwing on Kim Bo Kyung for Son was not enough to pick up the lack of energy up front and we lost all forward momentum and we struggled to survive the last few minutes to keep the draw.
A point in the end is a good result given the fact that not long ago we were struggling to qualify out of the AFC, with many of our key players hurt at the end of the season, and friendly performances that showed little progress. Perhaps we could have been a bit more inventive or clinical in the box, but we also showed some pretty good defending and only had a few moments of terror compared to usual KNT performances.
So Korea needs to win versus Algeria if they want to have any hope of moving to the knock-out rounds. It will not be easy but qualifying will be far easier than if last night had been a loss. The major worry for me is that Koo, Son and Ki all have yellows, and a second yellow for Ki in particular would be a huge problem to even struggle for a draw vs a B team Belgium.
Player ratings:
I don't like numerical ratings but it's the world cup so why not.
Jung Sung Ryung - 6 - Maybe a 9 compared to my expectations. He didn't inspire that much confidence with his decisions or inability to catch the ball cleanly, but he cleared the ball out all night without error (though far from efficiently) and the goal wasn't his fault.
Lee Yong - 6 - Also surprised me with his defense work though he slowed down over the match and only hurt us going forward.
Kim Young Gwon - 7 - I thought he was really solid. Far from dominating but controlled the back line and was very capable in being patient with the ball as we came back out.
Hong Jeong Ho - 5 - He too was good with the ball but sometimes he got lost in space. That leg cramp, while not his fault, also killed us. He returned to training so he should be good to go for the next match.
Yun Suk Young - 6 - This kid is very exciting going forward but he really bit on some fakes really badly leaving his side wide open. He also tired significantly and was a liability in the final 10 minutes.
Ki Sung Yueng - 8 - MOTM for me. He was so instrumental in establishing the tempo and not being frazzled by Russia's attempt to press him deep. He also had a number of key tackles despite carrying a yellow for most of the match. And when he did go forward, he had some passes that cracked the Russian defense open. Hopefully he can open it up more offensively for Algeria.
Han Kook Young - 6 - He helped open things up for Ki by taking on more of the distribution responsibilities. He also played defense with far more discipline than previously friendlies.
Lee Chung Yong - 6 - He was very good on the ball but he struggled to do anything from the spaces he got into. He needs to figure out how to create danger out of his immense skills. His communication with Koo remains poor (even back to Asian Cup).
Koo Ja Cheol - 6 - He's coming back to the old Koo that we know. His shot that was deflected just wide was classic Koo: taking on 50/50 balls in chaos around the box and making something good happen out of nothing. His passing was still lacking though and he was gassed out at the worst time.
Son Heung Min - 7 - I would have rated him higher except for the fact that he gassed out which really impaired his ability to defend in the second half. Plus his shots which were wild and poor. But just about every good offensive chance for Korea could be chalked up to his electric moves.
Park Chu Young - 5 - I feel bad scoring him this low because he did all the dirty things that aren't appreciated by fans. He held up the ball well, had some nice passes, and most importantly opened things up for Son and the rest of the attackers with his intelligent and selfless movement. That said, he had a few too many big errors (his inability to corral LCY's pass; his errant backpass that was nearly disastrous) and was not enough of a threat by himself.
Subs:
Lee Keun Ho - 7 - We needed him to be a bit selfish with energy missing out of starting 11 and he did so well and was rewarded with that goal. Ran hard though our offensive flow really stopped with him as a striker due to his poor aerial skills.
Hwang Seok Ho - 5 - Was unfortunate in that clearance that led to the goal. He seemed to be a bit out of communication with the back four but perhaps that was fatigue from the other players.
Kim Bo Kyung - 3 - Was really disappointed in him. We needed him to run and he didn't. Yun needed cover and help but KBK was too far forward to do so. Was a total waste of a sub.
