You see, this is exactly the type of thinking we need to move away from. What the Korean press (including the fans) and the Korean FA are terrible at are setting expectations and enforcing them. This team has practiced for nearly 3 -4 years while Germany probably only got 3-4 months, combined. Winning bronze in 2012 was not a testament to how good we were but how shitty everyone else were. This means that reaching the semi-finals should be an expectation that we need to start setting. In comparison, winning the Asian Cup / Asian Games is an expectation has already been set but nobody is enforcing it. I am not thrilled of getting second place in the Asian Cup and this requires analysis as to why we've failed to win it for so long. Instead, the general "feeling" is that Stielike "probably" is a good manager because he got second? The questions and answers we needed were not about how he brought together an unfit team, plagued with illness; it should've been about why we failed in spite of them. When was the last time we sacked a manager or even scrutinized one for not meeting expectations at the Asian Cup? It was Park Jong-hwan in 1996 when we get destroyed by Iran. It takes something catastrophic and scrutiny comes always comes AFTER the fact. I wonder if the KFA Technical Committee ever had a meeting with Stielike to discuss why did it take us an over-time thriller against Uzbekistan to reach the finals against the Australians. They probably didn't, because nobody is enforcing anything. There is no accountability, and no responsibility until it's too late. Reaching the quarter finals at the Olympics, in my mind, is not a feat in itself. We've reached it three times in the last 4 tournaments and in this regard, Shin Tae-yong should not be regarded as a success.
Actually, if you look at it in more details, that is not completely true. You claim "this team has practiced for nearly 3-4 years" which I assume that you are stating the fact that this team unofficially started their Olympic's campaign in 2013 U-20 WC. Yes, it is partly true because this Olympics was always going to be made up of '93 players as core and the U-20 WC in 2013 was the sort of the start. But, if you look at the squad list - only 4 players from that squad are in the final squad list for this Olympics. You claim that this team practiced for nearly 3-4 years but that is partly true and partly false. Our core groups of players such as Kwon Chang-hoon, Ryu Seung-woo etc. had the chance to work together alot from 2014 and onwards but we still had many shifts in the squad. Eventually, to say that our players had many more years practice together than Germany is not 100% correct because if we look at the starting lineup from KOR-GER match: Son Heung-min and Jang Hyun-soo are completely new player to this team Hwang Hee-chan joined Team Shin Tae-yong in 2015 Jung Seung-hyun, Lee Seul-chan, Park Yong-woo all joined team Shin Tae-yong in 2015. Choi Kyu-baek join team Shin Tae-yong in 2016. Only Shim Sang-min and Kwon Chang-hoon (and Moon Chang-jin but he was injured in 2013) were members from 2013. To say that this team practiced for 3-4 years is a huge overreaction, even more so when you consider the fact that Shin Tae-yong only took reign in 2015. On the contrary, Germany, although I really do not know much about, I have saw their list from U-21 team that led to their Olympics ticket and their current Olympics squad, and saw that alot of the starters from KOR-GER match were there. We can gather that many key players from Germany's starting lineup are familiar with each other, just like how our key players are used to each other, but that doesnt mean we had so many years of practice together more compared to Germany. Also, our official Rio Olympics training camp took place few weeks before the Olympics started. If you expectations are that we should reach semi-finals automatically, then I think you're delusional, no offense. If you think that a Korean team no matter who they put out should be reaching that high expectations automatically, then I have nothing to say. We were better prepared in 2012, and Hong Myung-bo does have the excuse of having many years preparation for the 2012 Olympics. Shin Tae-yong, on the other hand, took this team unexpectedly and with only 1 and a half years before the Olympics.
So, we're still in agreement that this team had 1.5 years to prepare, correct? How long did Germany have? Did Germany ever really have their full team? I don't think so. Germany never ever had a full team and their full team ended up NOT playing in this tournament. Where is Emre Can or Julian Draxler? With that being said, do you agree that most respectable teams would not bring their A game to this tournament? Also, do you agree that our offensive line-up of this current U-23 team is pretty close to our current senior level? If so, you're telling me that our KNT should not expect to reach the semi-finals of a second tier tournament? And yet, we're expecting to reach the top 16 of the world cup? I find this all very confusing and conflicting.
I never said we were less prepared then Germany. Read again, I said saying that we prepared 3-4 years is an overreaction. The core group of Germany players that started against us, still know each other. It was not like the German coach just picked random German young kids and put them together for the Olympics. My opinion is that regardless of it being a second-tier competition, we can't expect Korea to reach semi-finals all the time Saying that This is a second tier competition -> semi-finals place -> R16 WC's is just silly logic's imo. The first time we ever reached Olympics semi-finals was 2012(!) only 4 years ago. Until then, we mostly pooped in most of our appearances despite the fact that we reached 8 consecutive Olympics. In fact, we could barely make it out alive from the groups. And TBH, I find your posts atm more confusing and conflicting. You seem to go and on with posts about complaining Korean players yet you are saying our expectations for the Olympics all the time should be semi-finals berth. That for me is confusing.
Yea, it pretty much was literally that. The Bender brothers were a hail mary attempt and the coach somehow got lucky that they could play this tournament. Why shouldn't it be an expectation? We've never reached the round of 16 until 2002; but it was always an expectation even before 2002 and it continues to be an expectation. This is a well-defined and well-measured expectation. So why can't we aim high? We've qualified for the quarter-finals for two consecutive tournaments, which means that this right in our ball-park. Korean players ARE shite. But the Olympics is the only international tournament where we can play even more shite teams, unlike the World Cup. Got it? And i find your avatar to be offensive.
What is so hard to understand? A bar has to be set for there to be a rational assessment following a result at a major competition. Losing to Honduras at the Olympics and finishing as Asian Cup runners-up are results that fell below expectations. And yet, because the games against Honduras and Australia were "hard fought," we've got a majority of fans who are applauding the coach and his team, which suggests that there is some serious cultural problem.
Expectations are always different, so I respect that your expectations are that our Olympic team should always come between 1st-4th. My expectations are definitely not that. I would love for it to happen as a supporter but no, that's not my expectations "Got it?" Actually, you're confusing me even more but we'll leave it at that because you'll probably confuse me even more if we go on. And I dont find your avatar to be offensive
So are you telling me that your expectations of our team for this tournament before was that we were going to beat Honduras or any other team in the QF's and reach semi-finals? Wow, I wonder how many people in the world had that same expectations? What it is so hard for YOU to understand. Losing to Honduras is not what Im talking about. We are talking about the Olympics expectations beforehand. My expectations for the Olympics is never "an automatic berth in the semi-finals".
Honduras is a beatable team for Korea, which is why beating them should be expected. What is it a stretch to expect a win against Honduras?
See you are clearly not understanding this. I'm not talking about the Honduras match. Read the previous posts again, I cant be bothered to explain it again.
But I am talking about Honduras, as they were our opponents. It is feasible for one to expect Korea to beat Honduras. Korea lost. Hence, they fell below expectations.
If i was Korean i would be very happy to reach AFC cup final every four year. Do you think its easy? Hell no.
Korea does not reach the final of Asian Cup every four year, if it was the case they would have won at least one title since 1960 and indeed I would be happy (even if I am not Korean).
We usually fail to reach the final because of Iran. Who employ the three easy steps to beat any goddamn Korean side 1. Get a good defense 2. Defend like crap knowING Korea doesn't know how to score and counter our ass 3. Profit
Yes right and Iran fail to reach the final because of Korea (Korea faced Iran in quarter finals from 1996 to 2011, crazy right ?) Haha so true , that's what happenned today
I said this cause so many people here take an AFC cup victory for granted. Iran, Japan, S.Korea and Australia, they all will be competitive in AFC 2019 cup.
It doesn't have to be yours and you'll always be satisfied with the status quo, as long as we beat Fuji and book 7 points in the group stages. But Korean football needs to aim higher. Respect.
My point is that reach a final it's not a garantee, even with competitive NT at AFC level like Korea. The KNT average level must drastically improve in order to consider Korea a team wich should be expected to reach the AFC cup final. Right now i don't see any AFC national team far superior than others to make people say "If X NT doesn't reach the final at least, otherwise X NT failed" "Y NT is the strongest and should won the cup easily"