Squeezing into Brazil
Korean players walk back to the midfield after conceding the game-winner to Iran's Reza Ghoochannejhad in the second-half of their World Cup qualifier in Ulsan Tuesday. / Yonhap
Lucky Korea extends streak of World Cup finals appearances to eight
By Kim Tong-hyung
Korea secured its eighth consecutive berth at the World Cup finals, despite a 1-0 loss to Iran in their Group A finale in a soggy night in Uslan, Tuesday.
In what likely was Choi Kang-hee’s final match at the helm of the senior national team, the Koreans never recovered after Iranian striker Reza Ghoochannejhad picked off Korean defender Kim Young-gwon near the box and slotted the ball pass a helpless Jung Sung-ryong in the 60th minute.
The Koreans still managed to edge Uzbekistan, which devoured Qatar 5-1 in Tashkent, on goal differential to finish as Group A runner-ups and secure a berth to the “Big Show” in Brazil next year. Iran, the Group A leaders, will be making its fifth appearance in world sport’s biggest event.
Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina and Spain are the only nations that have longer streaks of consecutive finals appearances than Korea, with Brazil being the only country to qualify for every World Cup tournament since the first in 1930.
Japan and Australia were the other Asian squads that booked their places in Brazil. Uzbekistan and Oman, which finished third place in Group A and B, respectively, are now pitted against each other in a do-or-die playoff for the right to take on a South American opponent for a spot in the finals.
While making it to Brazil was clearly an accomplishment, the real challenge has just begun for the Koreans, who will have just a year to acquire a new DNA under a new coach should the Korea Football Association (KFA) decide to part ways with Choi.
Despite the risk, the case for a coaching upheaval is clear cut. Under Choi’s reign, the Koreans looked uninspired and limited throughout the qualifying campaign and were probably fortunate to emerge as group leaders late into the preliminary rounds.
Korea needs a coach who can inspire its promising youngsters, including the Bundesliga trio of Son Heung-min, Koo Ja-cheol and Ji-Dong-won, who engineered the country’s bronze medal run in the London Olympics and had excelled regularly for Choi’s predecessor Cho Kwang-rae.
The KFA is considering a number of foreigners as Choi’s potential replacements, the most high profile of them being Argentine veteran Marcelo Bielsa. Among the Koreans, Hong Myung-bo, considered one of the country’s best defenders ever and the skipper of the London team, could be a possibility.
The Koreans needed only a draw to secure a ticket to Brazil, but showed a sense of urgency against their bitter regional foes out of the gate. And this was exactly the kind of match where intensity carries a long way, considering what was at stake, and the slippery pitch making the execution a little sloppier than usual.
With Son and Ji Dong-won giving Choi’s attack a much-needed width, the Koreans used the space to feed the ball continuously to their striker duo of Lee Dong-gook and Kim Shin-wook.
However, they struggled to finish against a deep-lying Iranian defense bringing density and pressure. Iranian skill players, led by the dangerous Javad Nekounam, managed to be just active enough to keep the Korean defense honest in the opening half.
Kim Shin-wook, a towering striker who looks like a basketball power forward, wasted a critical opportunity six minutes into the match when he launched a volley into the stands from inside the box.
Lee Dong-gook threatened six minutes later when he released himself into the right side of the box on a deft through ball, only to knock the ball into the hands of Iranian goalkeeper Rahman Ahmadi.
Son, the country’s most high-profile player who inked a lucrative five-year-deal with Bayern Leverkusen recently, latched on a rebound within breathing distance of Ahmadi in the 20th minute, only to see the attempt float over the crossbar.
Lee Myung-joo’s right footer from 30 meters out moments later had the trajectory of a V2. He failed to convert on a fast break in the 40th minute when Ahmadi smartly cut him off at the edge of the box.
The Koreans looked further devoid of pace and purpose after the second-half whistle and paid for all the missed opportunities when Ghoochannejhad converted his team’s first shot-on-target into a score.
Choi tried to shake up the offense by replacing Ji with Lee Keun-ho and Son with Kim Bo-kyung, but to no avail.
So after being lucky to qualify, a lot of work is now the order of the day.