What an amazing game. 1. Hats off to Hong Myungbo. This man has two things that no Korean coach has ever had: tactical competence and leadership abilities. Choosing Ji Dongwon to start against GB, starting out against Brazil with Park CY on the bench and pulling out Koo as soon as Brazil hit their second goal was a gutsy, confident move that probably won us the Bronze. Total boss move. His personal experience at the highest levels including the WC02 run and ability to motivate his players is special. 2. Loved how our players handled themselves on the pitch with the refs. Things got hairy but we need our players to LEARN how to express themselves on the pitch. From Ki talking to other team and ref the entire tournament and Koo pressuring the ref starting from first half dictated our team's tenor on the match from the beginning. Our kids need are still learning and they will gain more and more tact with experience but this is a VAST improvement from the be silent and get jerked approach. 3. This team was BALANCED. Our defense was miraculously solid thanks in large part to Hong's strategy of DEFENDING AS A TEAM. How many times did we see Nam Taehee, Park Chuyoung and Ji Dongwon defending from top to in and around our own box?? Just amazing. Our midfield overran every team we played except Brazil in second half. Park Chuyoung, Kim Bokyoung, Ji Dongwon scored when it mattered. No gaping holes = BRONZE medal. 4. Against Japan, we managed the game brilliantly. We imposed our game plan on Japan from the get-go. Our aggressiveness and physicality totally took Japan out of their game plan. It wasn't pretty but it was our plan and the kids FORCED Japan to dance to our step. I'm sure Hong had other plans in store but the longballs and putting a body on Japan every time they tried to hold up the ball worked brilliantly. I could go on and on but man, I haven't been this happy watching Korea play in a long time. This team is truly great. And CAN YOU IMAGINE WHEN WE ADD Lee Chungyong, Son HM, Shinwook, Hong Jongho(sucks he missed out on this esp. military exemption) to this team? It's a bright future.
One thing that struck me about this team was how they played with a philosophy, a system. How many times have we been frustrated with the typical bbung chukgu hoof ball? We'd wait for one moment of brilliance or one lucky break to get us through matches. This Olympics? We imposed our game on every team we played. Even when all seemed lost (KCS breaking his arm, JSR getting injured) we still came out on top. We didn't break ranks, we didn't lose character and we kept to the game plan. First choice LB and first choice GK off? Most teams would crumble. We didn't. This is all due to HMB. His leadership + tactical skills are up there with the world's best. He showed his character as well by putting faith in PCY, a striker everyone in Korea ridiculed for the Monaco VISA fiasco. End result? PCY won us the bronze medal. HMB to WC 2014 and beyond. I can't wait. This man is a hero.
We seem to finally have a combination of gritty, talented young players who can take the pressure and a coach who knows what he is doing and manages what the game throws at the team rather than getting flustered and merely reacting. Another thing Hong Myungbo did right: getting TWO PK's called against us and being 1-0 down we climb back. Instead of gunning it for that last goal, you knew that Hong was preparing, as he had been preparing the team all along, to play 120 minutes and then to PK. It wasn't uncertainty but firsthand knowledge of dynamics of tournament football.
Seriously, just the fact that HMB picked PJY took absolute balls. The way he handled this whole fiasco showed real contrast to how CKH handled it. Not going to go into that any further...
Hong Jeong-ho might already get the military exemption due to torn ACL. In the past, there had been several players got military exemption with torn ACL. Hwang Sun-hong, Ko Jong-su, Lee Kwan-woo, Kim Hyung-beom to name a few.
Btw, I think I've read from some posters that PJY wasn't very good today apart from the goal. Sure, I've seen him play better, but he was pretty damn good. He held the ball well, won every header and directed them well too, linked up well, and absolutely ridiculed the Japanese defense. He showed determination that he didn't show against GB.
Wow. Someone would say that? PCY has never been the most active player on the planet even in form and fitness. He WAS our offense for most of today. Being able to be target man, fast break playmaker and of course one man army on his goal.... smh He made errors for sure but there were plenty across our team playing on a ripped up pitch and fatigued after so many grueling matches in a row
Not only did he put in the first goal it was his trademark head flick that assisted koos finish. He caused all kinds of trouble in the air as usual. Andy carroll should become his pupil.
that would be so awesome... the fact that HJH missed out on exemption is really irritating me... it’s ruining the mood of pure happiness.
Doesn't the whole Olympics squad get the exemption or is it only the ones that played in the Bronze match?
How explicitly do you think HMB told his players that he wanted them to put the fear of God into Yuki Otsu?
Everyone on the 18 man squad gets exemption b/c HMB made sure they all saw minutes on the pitch during the tournament.
구자철은 "'독도는 우리 땅' 세리머니를 하려고 했는데 당연히 우리 땅인 것을 표현하는 것은 유치하다고 생각했다"며 "기성용이 광복절을 앞두고 만세삼창을 하자고 해서 그냥 그대로 했다"고 말했다.
HJH out b/c of a torn ACL - he's the captain of this team and got the team through qualification. The other two were initially selected for the final squad but had to be replaced from the 18 man squad the week before the Olympics due to injury.
FK NBC! What the hell was that? "Japan... who were the better team overall in the tournament but not today" What are they talking about? They just sound so stupid.... why would you say such cr@p?
OMG they beat Spain! They so good! They scored three past EGYPT while Korea struggled against great Britain ! Japan MUST be the better side right? We had much harder opposition. So we didn't score many goals but this guy has clearly not watched many Korea matches. Fck nbc