Hot Korea ready for Chile test
Son Heung-min shields his eyes during training at the National Football Center field in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday, three days before South Korea's friendly match with Chile. Yonhap
By John Duerden
Paulo Bento's first step as South Korea head coach started in the best possible fashion on Friday: a win and a solid performance. Costa Rica may not have provided the toughest of tests but this was a team that made the 2018 World Cup and was full of talent. The 2-0 victory in front of a good crowd at Goyang had everyone feeling satisfied.
It was an aggressive performance for Korea with the host on top for much of the 90 minutes. Even better was that the Taegeuk Warriors were uncharacteristically solid at the back. It was just one game but the signs were promising.
“It's always happy when you win,” Bento said. “I'm especially satisfied because it's a victory that showed our players' talent and quality. I also liked how we played the game, and how we created good moments.”
The Portuguese tactician was only appointed in August to succeed Shin Tae-yong and sounded a positive note. “Our goal was to dominate the match for 90 minutes,” he said. “Our defense was good and our transition from defense to offense was good. The players executed well and did what they were ordered to do.”
The Korea Football Association (KFA) picked Bento partly for his experience with the national team of Portugal and his reputation for being innovative and imaginative on the training field and the feedback from the players has been good so far even if these are very early days. Son Heung-min, made captain for the evening, has been complimentary about the new regime.
There are issues to deal with. Ki Sung-yueng was at his intelligent best in the middle. The 29 year-old joined Newcastle United in the English Premier League and after more than 100 appearances for the national team, he can be forgiven for finding it all a little too much and has talked of retiring from international soccer.
“Playing with a foreign club, I do feel pressure traveling to my home country,” Ki said. “It's not only about my physical condition. I had doubts whether I could devote myself 100 percent to the national team. I've had serious discussions about this with seniors around me.”
Ki is happy to play on until the Asian Cup in January when the team aims to win the continental championship for the first time since 1960. Korea has been grouped with the Philippines, Krygzystan and China for the tournament that will be held in the United Arab Emirates.
“Bento first told me to stay with the national team,” said Ki, who stepped aside for Son Heung-min to be made captain. “If the team needs me, I think it's right for me to play with my teammates until the Asian Cup.”
Before that is Chile on Tuesday in Suwon. The visitors didn't make the World Cup, and that was quite a surprise since the team won Copa America in 2016, South America's continental championship. Chile was due to play Japan on Friday but the game was canceled due to the earthquake in Hokkaido.
It should be a great test. Alexis Sanchez of Manchester United has not made the journey east though Barcelona star Arturo Vidal should be starting in what is likely to be a relatively young team as coach Reinaldo Rueda builds a team to head through qualifications for the 2022 World Cup. That is the ultimate objective for Korea too. There is still a long way to go but the start for Paulo Bento has been encouraging.