Korean national soccer team striker Cho Kyu-sung (Mit Whelan) shows no signs of emerging from his slump. However, given that Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), a “side engine,” has returned, a rebound is worthwhile.
Cho started all three Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup Group E matches, but has yet to score a goal. Out of a total of five shots, Cho has only one shot on goal, failing to display his presence at the frontier.
Team Korea, where Cho Kyu-sung remained silent, performed poorly in the group stage. It ranked second in the group with one win, two draws and five points to advance to the round of 16, but failed to secure the top spot in its group. Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) are considered strong contenders for the championship, but their performance did not.
In particular, the team had a 3-3 draw in the third and final match against Malaysia. Considering that the opponent team was ranked 130th in the FIFA rankings, which is 107 places lower than Korea (23rd), the result was tantamount to a defeat.
Critics are constantly criticizing Korea for its poor offensive performance. Korea had no field goal in two consecutive games against Jordan until Game 3 against Malaysia. Although Korea overwhelmed the team’s market share in both games, the lack of field goals indicates that the team’s development process was not smooth.
Soccer fans are criticizing the players. In response, “captain” Son Heung-min came forward and said, “I hope you don’t shake the players, and I hope you protect them.”
Cho was also criticized. “I don’t care,” Cho told reporters at the mixed zone after the match against Malaysia.
As for the cause of the recent slump, he explained, “I don’t have any physical problems, and I think I’m just not scoring well.” When asked if he’s getting greedy to score as the silence is getting longer, he said, “I don’t feel pressured, but I want to score goals and contribute to the team because I’m going to the tournament now and I’ll fall if I lose.”
After returning from injury, Hwang Hee-chan replaced Cho Kyu-sung at the 18th minute of the second half in the match against Malaysia, and played his first game of the tournament. However, there was not enough time to make a strong impression.
“It’s true that it’s a shame because it wasn’t the result I wanted,” Hwang Hee-chan said after the match. “I can’t say I’m satisfied with the round of 16, but I think the goal has been achieved because the result is important.” “I think we have to bring results unconditionally from the round of 16,” he said.
On the issue of offense, Hwang Hee-chan disagreed recently. 헤라카지노도메인 “I don’t understand that he didn’t score a goal,” Hwang said. “He also created a part to get fouls, and that’s the result of his efforts.”
As we enter the tournament now, we promise to show better performances. “From now on, we have to take care of the results unconditionally,” Hwang Hee-chan said. “I think we have to show more progress in the round of 16.”
South Korea’s attack got thicker with Hwang Hee-chan’s return. It remains to be seen whether Cho Kyu-sung, who is in desperate need of a rebound, will also be able to show a change. Attention is being paid to his performance in the round of 16 against Saudi Arabia on the 31st.