“I fully understand how the fans feel in this situation. I think that is something that I have to endure going forward,” coach Hong Myung-bo said of the booing towards him.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, drew 0-0 with Palestine in the first round of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America at 8 p.m. on the 5th at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
The South Korean national team used a 4-4-2 formation. Son Heung-min and Joo Min-kyu built the offensive line, while Lee Jae-sung, Lee Kang-in, Hwang In-beom and Jung Woo-young filled the midfield. Seol Young-woo, Kim Min-jae, Kim Young-kwon and Hwang Moon-ki formed the back four lines, and Cho Hyun-woo wore the goalie gloves.
As expected, the game was led by South Korea. The national team tried to target Palestine by slowly proceeding with the build-up from the back. As it was the first game under Hong Myung-bo, it was not 100% refined. As much as the line was raised, the back space was greatly empty and several counterattacks were allowed. In addition, a pass miss came out and a threatening scene was given away. The first half ended 0-0. In the middle of the first half, Lee Kang-in and Hwang In-beom tried to shoot threateningly, but unfortunately, it did not lead to a goal.
The national team took the lead in the second half as well. As in the first half, the team slowly sought opportunities through rear build-up, targeting at the sides, and seeking loopholes for Palestinians. However, the team rarely scored a goal. Coach Hong Myung-bo made changes to his offense by deploying Oh Se-hoon and Hwang Hee-chan, but it did not have much effect.
As the game neared its end, Lee gradually approached the goal mark. In the 15th minute of the second half, Lee Kang-in faced a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper without interfering with defense in the box, and in the 19th minute of the second half, Oh Se-hoon attempted a menacing header shot inside the box. However, neither scene could lead to a goal.
Towards the end of the second half, the national team was heavily on offense. Son faced a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, and Oh Se-hoon made an effective shot with a soft header inside the box at the 37th minute of the second half. However, I had no intention of opening the tightly sealed Palestinian goal. Thus, the match ended with 0-0.
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who had a disappointing draw, said in a press conference after the end of the match, “I am sorry that I did not win the first match of the third qualifying round. I have to get the first step right, but I don’t think I did. When I watch the match, I think the players did their best until the end.”
“Overall, the first half and the second half were different. We felt that the first half was not as good as we thought, but the second half was a little better. Nevertheless, it is a pity that we did not take advantage of several scoring chances. This problem can continue in the future. In the first half, the opposite conversion and the speed of the ball should have been a little faster. In order to score, we have to make the opposite conversion, but that was not the case in the first half today,” he said, pointing out what was lacking in detail.
In today’s match, Hong had to be booed by some 60,000 spectators throughout the match. He started from the introduction of his lineup before the match, and during the match, fans booed him rather than cheered. The sound was even louder at the end of the match, when the draw was nearing. On this matter, Hong responded that he understood. “It is not easy (to accept) such a scene. However, under the current circumstances, I fully understand how the fans feel. I think that is something I have to endure going forward,” he said.
Just like 11 years ago, Hong failed to win his debut match again this time. In response, he said, “I had a plan today, but I didn’t score a goal. I think that is the most important part. I have to prepare for the remaining four days. The most important thing is the players’ conditions. Players who play in Europe have physical problems because they come in and play right away. I think we have to look at their conditions and decide on the selection of players for the next match.” 안전놀이터
There were also tactical references. Lee Kang-in, who showed aggressive movement in today’s game. When asked about Lee’s future use plan, Hong Myung-bo replied, “We made tactical changes in the first half and the second half of today. There were a few creative passes in that part. That part was prepared. It is important to use the players as a whole. I think using Lee Kang-in, Son Heung-min, and Hwang Hee-chan is important for our team. I think it’s our homework to see what we can use better. That’s why we have to think about it so that we can find a way.”