Huhs leadership in question

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Sports

Hangzhou Asian Games

Wed, December 6, 2023 | 00:27

Huhs leadership in question

Posted : 2010-06-18 17:10

Updated : 2010-06-18 17:10

South Korea's Park Ji-sung tumbles to the ground during the World Cup Group B match between South Korea and Argentina at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, Thursday. / Korea Times

By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff reporter

The players looked rigid against the two-time World Champion _ a critical chance to draw level was blown and a dubious non-call for offside made things worse.

In the aftermath of the disheartening 4-1 loss to Argentina in Johannesburg, Thursday, suspicion and criticism of South Korean coach Huh Jung-moo are back on the rise, especially on his limited tactics and inappropriate use of players.

It took only one game for the bubble to burst. In facing the Argentineans, Huh failed to create effective strategies to stand side by side with the South American's superb attacking lineup.

The first bad choice came in the midfield, when he decided to play Park Ji-sung in the center, instead of his favored spot on the right wing. The team captain had a tough time facing a wild Javier Mascherano and trying to keep the sublime Lionel Messi at bay.

It turned out to be too much even for the Manchester United man. He was shackled by Mascherano for most of the game, and not overly effective in defending Messi.

There was further controversy surrounding the backline, where Oh Beom-seok took to the pitch to replace Cha Du-ri at left back.

It was obvious the manager did not have much faith in Cha. After the Argentina match, Huh said he employed Oh because he was "not satisfied with Cha's performance against Greece," even though he made a significant contribution as South Korea blanked the Europeans 2-0.

Oh, one of those in Huh's favor, failed to meet the expectations put on him. The Ulsan Tigers defender couldn't stop the incessant blitz down his flank, especially in the first half.

His downward spiral hit rock bottom when he fouled Angel Di Maria on 15 minutes, allowing a Lionel Messi free kick that immediately led to an own goal by Park Chu-young.

Manager Huh advocated Oh after the match, saying he "did his best," leaving questions to whether Cha did not, which are not likely to be answered.

Enthusiastic conspiracy nuts might even want to remind people of the fact that Oh's father is a high-ranking official at the Korea Football Association, and it's no secret that Huh and Cha Bum-kun still have a hostile relationship.

Another of Huh's beloved players, midfielder Yeom Ki-hun, was again unimpressive following a disappointing display against Greece. The 27-year-old missed the best scoring chance for the Koreans, squandering a golden opportunity to get the team back into the game.

Maradona's leadership was under intense criticism before the World Cup, but the legend even outplayed Huh in his substitutions.

He was ruthless in replacing Carlos Tevez, one of the most active attackers before halftime, in the middle of the second half with Sergio Aguero when South Korea was enjoying a rare spell of control, and it worked to see his side add two late goals.

In stark contrast, Huh did virtually nothing about the stuttering Park Chu-young and Yeom, except for substituting Park for Lee Dong-gook with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Huh still has one more chance to prove himself, with arguably the strongest squad in Korean football history. And the prospects are good against Nigeria, as the Africans have been remarkably average in their previous two matches.

Lee is expected to start up front against the Super Eagles. Huh has said several times that the veteran striker is preparing himself for the Nigeria clash, but it still remains to be seen who the coach will play in defense, with Oh regarded as having the edge over Cha.

hckim@koreatimes.co.kr