Felt like our manager got away from what made this team so successful this run - timely substitutions. I couldn't believe we only made 1 sub until injury time. I would have taken off #9 for a player with pace. Anyone know why #11 didn't play at all? #9 wasn't holding the ball up at all or using his height, so he was useless the entire match. He killed a few good counters too and just seemed tired / out of it.
Unlucky guys. It was a good run. We can still finish strong and het third place. This team def overachieved. Italy will probably be the winners this time round. Their first goal was gifted by us.
the referee was better than in previous matches, but in my opinion he wasn't totally fair, and should have punished the Italians more severely. Indeed, they committed a lot of fouls (notably a slap in the face on a Korean who deserved a red). Still, the Koreans had a good game and a good run in general, for which they should be congratulated; they're still in contention for 3rd place.
Hopefully some European scouts recognized some of the talent on the team. Kim Ji Soo probably garnered more eyes but players like Bae and LSW hopefully swayed teams to at least keep a closer look at them in the K league
Why did they not jump at all at the wall? Not sure if it would have made a difference but they just stood there as ball sailed over their heads into the corner. Not to take anything away from the freekick. It was a beauty. But I don't understand why they stood there like statues.
It seemed as though Italy were fouling a lot and I think one of the Korean football YouTubers (I forget who) said Italy was good at cutting off Korean momentum and chances by being aggressive and fouling, using what the ref was giving them... and ref was allowing the fouls to continue... some of the regular fouls called could've definitely been shown yellow cards... but since ref wasn't really calling it... they just continued to foul...
That's what I saw. Their RB had accumulated 7 fouls, mostly if not all on Bae, before being subbed out in the 2nd half.
How did this team make it to the semis? Throughly outclassed by the Israelis (this is a sentence I never imagined I would ever write.)
Korean (Asian) teams need to know how to manage games better with better gamesmanship. Even if it means resorting to bit of "dark arts" as part of tactics towards victory, they should have those in their repertoire. Need to get that bit of naivety out of their football system culture.
Personally, I am against diving or acting injured to waste time. But revenge fouling is fine. Italy's RB should have been hit hard, as a message to calm himself down, and stop his fouling.
It wasnt just that RB. Other Italian players were a-holes as well. The player who got yellow-carded for throwing the ball to our player on the ground for example. Pushing from behind for 0 reasons from many players. It's just so funny how these Italian fans always think other teams are dirty when they just do the same thing to them.
But essentially that's what @Darkvoid531 is saying. It's part of the footballing culture of much of the world and KOR shouldn't be surprised or naive about it.
Well, why can't the kor players also act menacingly and play rough? Soccer is a physical and close contact sport, and I don't think this is something that can be easily won by playing respectfully. Look at the majority of the top 25 teams; most of them are in it to win no matter what it takes and they let no one inhibit their desires and emotions while on the pitch. Has it also occurred to any of you that maybe the referees don't give favorable calls to the kors because the players appear to have little self-respect? Win or lose, male athletes who aren't full of confidence and masculinity look very easy to marginalize and ignore.
Not sure if this defensive style of play is more suitable to the kors. Traditionally, they play 'better' by attacking more and focusing on possession but this comes at the price of having almost no defense
Korea is the Croatia for the Fifa U20s. Finalists four years ago and semi-finalists this year (technically, Croatia was 3rd place, but you get the point).
I can hope, as a Croat, that the tenacious mentality of the youths gets carried to the main NT, and that we see the rise of Korean zombies in 2026. Then, a final match between them and the Checkered ones decides the World Cup winner.