So what should we expect tactically? Again, the central approach of pressing and high tempo attacks have been HMB's signature (and sometimes to my frustration, only) plan. At the end of the day, a draw would be a decent result so I suspect that Korea may be a bit conservative to start, sitting back a bit and hoping to release Son and Park Chu Young on the counter against a slower Russian back line.
But if Capello has watched tape of our last matches, he may have a similar idea as the Korean back line has buckled under counterattacks. So there may be a bit of a chess match in the beginning as to who will take control at the risk of opening themselves up behind.
Keys to victory
- No defensive mental errors. We've seen a high number of them already this World Cup, and we know how susceptible this defense is, particularly on set pieces.
- Need to link up in the middle better. Koo has to step up and provide the accuracy that's needed out of his position. There's skill around him but it won't do any good if passes go awry
- Stay patient. A draw is an ok result and eagerness to get a goal should not leave a weak backline open
Prediction
This one is hard to predict as I could see both a bad loss and a good win depending on how the first couple breaks go. Certainly the friendly performances would seem to predict a loss. And the lack of form by many players coming off injuries is not a good sign. So my mind says 1-2 loss. But I wouldn't be surprised to see them pull out a draw or even a victory if they can get a moment of individual brilliance from players like Son Heung Min.
