2019 not yet over for South Korea
Paulo Bento, head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, speaks to reporters before practice at Ulsan Stadium in Ulsan, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Dec. 5. Yonhap
By John Duerden
The South Korea national team still has a little soccer to play this year in the guise of the East Asian Cup. This is not the biggest of deals in a year that has included the Asian Cup and the start of qualification for the 2022 World Cup, but it is a useful exercise for coach Paulo Bento.
The four-nation tournament starts on Tuesday when Japan takes on China in Busan with the host facing Hong Kong the following day. Each team plays the other over the week and the one with the most points takes the title. For South Korea, it is a chance to become regional champion for the third time straight, but more important issues are at stake.
“The biggest motivation for me is to continue to develop this team,” Bento said last week. “If it brings the results and gives us the third straight championship, then so much the better."
It is, or should be, a useful exercise for the boss. His big-name European stars such as Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur and Salzburg's Hwang Hee-chan are busy with their clubs and unavailable. That means Bento has a chance to look at some new players.
“We'll maintain our philosophy and try to play the best we can," Bento said. "This is an important competition. We'll try to figure out how some of the new faces blend in with the rest of the team. No matter which tournament you play, you have to work to get the best result possible."
There are not that many completely new players. Only three have never played for Korea before ― Han Seung-gyu, Kim In-sung and Lee Yeong-jae. The average age of the roster is not that low. Most of the Japanese contingent has zero experience with the national team and even China is experimenting a lot more than Korea.
It could be that Bento is feeling the pressure a little and is reluctant to look too much to the future. There is not much glory in winning the East Asian Cup, but losing it and playing badly will not go down well.
But there are bigger issues at stake. In the second qualification round for the World Cup, the Taegeuk Warriors are in second place in the group, a point behind Turkmenistan.
With only the top team of the group guaranteed a place in the next stage, Korea has to be a little careful. It should be OK. Three of the remaining four games are at home with the only away trip to Sri Lanka, one of the world's weakest teams. Fans and media will be demanding four wins.
However, the team has failed to score in its last three games and the recall of striker Lee Jang-hyeob, 28, who has managed just five in more than 20 games, is not exactly inspiring.
"We have a far different team this time around than those recent matches, and so it's hard to make comparisons," Bento said. "The important thing is to try to help the new players fit in and play well."
This has not been a vintage year for South Korea's national team, with lackluster performances at the Asian Cup in January as well as at the World Cup qualifiers. Winning the East Asian Championship will not change that too much, but Bento will take anything he can get.