Changing coaches will not save Korean football, youth expert says

Hong Myung-bo leaves after a press conference announcing his resignation as head coach of the Korean national football team at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan near Guadalajara, Mexico, June 28, following the squad's group-stage exit from the 2026 World Cup. Yonhap

Korea's national football team faces mounting criticism following a group-stage exit at the 2026 World Cup in North America. The squad finished the tournament with one win and two losses, prompting head coach Hong Myung-bo to resign. The team's poor performance renewed controversy over his 2024 appointment, sparking calls for structural reform.

The crisis has extended to the nation's under-23 team ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September. The U-23 squad finished fourth at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in January after being eliminated by Vietnam in extra time. The team also lost 1-0 to Kyrgyzstan in a friendly last month.

Japan presents a stark contrast, as their senior team reached the knockout stage at the World Cup with one win and two draws, including a 4-0 victory over Tunisia and a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands. While Japan suffered a 2-1 loss to Brazil in the round of 32, its U-23 team beat China 4-0 in the Asian Cup final to secure back-to-back titles. The victory established Japan as the tournament's most successful country, with championships in 2016, 2024 and 2026.

To understand this growing gap, the Hankook Ilbo interviewed Tom Byer in a video call on July 6. The 65-year-old New York native is widely considered an important figure in Japanese youth football, having moved to the country in the late 1980s and eventually building a network of 150 academies. Named one of modern football's six "football architects" by The Athletic last year, Byer said Korean football must establish long-term goals.

Youth football coach Tom Byer speaks from Tokyo during a video interview with The Hankook Ilbo, July 6. Captured from Zoom

Q: Could you introduce yourself?

A: After playing college football in the United States, I moved to Japan in 1986 to join a professional club. I retired as a player after three years and started coaching, focusing primarily on youth players between the ages of 6 and 12. In 1998, a Japanese television network featured me in a segment called "Tomsan's Soccer Technics" on a children's television show, where I appeared for about a decade. Since then, I have shared my football philosophy globally through writing, instructional DVDs and other media platforms.

Q: What do you emphasize most when training players?

A: Technical ability. I drew heavily from the methods of the renowned Dutch coach Wiel Coerver, who lived from 1924 to 2011. His approach focuses on the importance of basic ball control skills, the first touch and the ability to beat defenders one-on-one. I spent nearly all of my time developing and promoting these training mechanisms. In my youth academy network, we focus strictly on technical training. Players like Takumi Minamino of AS Monaco, Wataru Endo of Liverpool and Ritsu Doan of Frankfurt came through our youth academy network.

Q: Has this methodology been effective in developing Japanese football?

A: Japan fully understands the importance of technical ability. If you watch Japanese players train, you will see a massive emphasis on this. Although the Japanese national team narrowly lost 2-1 to Brazil in the World Cup knockout stage, they showed great potential. Many countries now wonder how Japanese football reached this level of development. Of course, Japanese football still has a long way to go, but their players now match almost anyone in technical ability.

Tom Byer, front, enters a stadium in Yokohama, Japan, during the final of a Japanese youth football tournament in June 2008. Courtesy of Tom Byer

Q: You run a coaching program called "Football Starts at Home." What is the philosophy behind it?

A: The idea has heavily influenced my entire career. There are 211 FIFA member nations, but only eight countries have ever won the World Cup. I wanted to understand why. Is it because their coaches are superior? Do they have better infrastructure? No. My research showed the answer lies in football culture. In those champion nations, children encounter football as a natural part of their culture at a much earlier age. They become familiar with the ball during the "golden age" — ages 2 to 5 — which is the ideal time to start playing.

Q: You previously highlighted Korea's Son Heung-min as a prime example of this philosophy. Why?

A: He is the prime example of the "Football Starts at Home" philosophy. I always begin my lectures with Son’s story. Raised by his father, Son Woong-jung, a former player himself, Son played football from a very early age. Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain also started playing during early childhood. While Korea currently has many good players, I firmly believe extraordinary players like Son and Lee are not produced in formal academy systems. They are born at home, in backyards and on neighborhood streets.

Q: Why is training during early childhood so critical?

A: It is the period when children have the greatest capacity to learn new skills. If you give a ball to a child between the ages of 2 and 5, their instinct is to kick it away. I advise parents to train children to roll and manipulate the ball with the soles of their feet instead of kicking it. Parents must remain by their side during this process. When children experience positive emotions while playing with their parents, those sensory experiences become imprinted on their brains. This is how they master basic skills through a process of deep learning.

Tom Byer delivers a lecture to Philippine Football Federation officials in Agusan del Sur, Philippines, September 2024. Captured from YouTube

Q: Are there realistic hurdles to implementing this in Asia?

A: Asian parents often view sports as a distraction from academics, which makes this difficult to practice. However, scientific evidence shows the exact opposite is true. Ball control training actively aids a child's cognitive development. According to neuropsychologist Dr. John J. Ratey, the brain areas used to control a ball also handle cognitive functions such as memory, concentration and basic arithmetic. This means starting football in early childhood actually has a positive impact on future academic success.

Q: The fallout from Korea's disappointing World Cup performance continues. How do you view this situation?

A: Changing the head coach might produce quick tournament results, but that alone cannot replace a long-term player development system. It will naturally take time to convince officials at the Korea Football Association (KFA) or K League clubs. However, I want to emphasize this: If Korea fails to recognize the importance of developing technical skills during the "golden age" between ages 2 and 5, there will be no progress. In fact, things could get worse. To become a global powerhouse, the football culture must change.

Q: What immediate steps should Korean football take?

A: I strongly recommend that the KFA, K League and government officials read a white paper published by the Scottish Football Association in October 2025 titled "Review of Youth Development in Men’s Football." The study analyzed 22 legendary players, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and found they all shared the common experience of encountering football during the "golden age" I emphasize. This report provides a clear path forward. If Korea builds a proper system and develops young players well, the country can return to the top of Asian football.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.