‘One shot on target’ Klinsmann’s men tie
Wales 0-0 next to first win
A-Match Masugirl’s victory washed away 3-2 since Klinsmann’s arrival
13th match against Saudi Arabia
Klinsmann’s first A-Match victory has to wait.
Jürgen Klinsmann’s
(GER) national soccer team played a goalless 0-0 draw with Wales in an A-match trial at the Cardiff Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, on Aug. 8 at 3:45 a.m. 섯다 (KST).
Klinsmann, who took over the reins in March this year, has yet to register a win in five A-match matches with three draws and two losses.
It was the longest winless streak by a foreign coach to lead South Korea in history.
In March, South Korea drew 2-2 with Colombia and lost 1-2 to Uruguay in two consecutive A matches. In June, they lost 0-1 to Peru and drew 1-1 with El Salvador.
The team was ambitiously hoping for a victory in its first European outing, but the performance fell short of expectations.
It was a dull affair, with only one shot on target from Son Heung-min (Tottenham), who had scored a hat trick just before the call-up. South Korea had four shots and one on target on the day.
Despite the high possession, the game was dominated by Wales.
Wales had 11 shots and four on target, including one on goal.
Klinsmann deployed Son Heung-min alongside Cho Kyu-sung (Mitwylan) up front, with Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) and Hong Hyun-seok (Hent) on the left and right flanks.
In the midfield, Hwang In-beom (Tsubena Zvezda) and Park Yong-woo (Al Ain) teamed up.
In the back, Jung Seung-hyun, Seol Young-woo (Ulsan), and Lee Ki-je (Suwon) were joined by Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), who missed the June A match due to military training.
Kim Seung-kyu (Al-Shabab) was in goal.
The Koreans made some early mistakes in passing and handling the ball, giving the opposition a chance to counterattack. They responded quickly to avert the crisis, but it was a messy affair.
After the 10th minute, Wales took control of the game.
In the 13th minute, South Korea’s central defense was breached by a Welsh passing play. Harry Wilson’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, but it was a close call.
In attack, we were not organic. We struggled to create space, and as a result, the forward line of Cho Kyu-sung, Son Heung-min, and others were often isolated up front.
The only bright spot came in the 36th minute when Lee Ki-jae sent in a sharp cross from the left flank that found Cho Kyu-sung.
Son Heung-min
Stepped up in the frustrating flow. In the 39th minute, he fired a right-footed mid-range shot into the Welsh goal, South Korea’s only shot on target on the day.
South Korea raised the tone in the final minutes of the first half by attacking the left and right flanks, but failed to score in the first half.
We expected a change in the second half, but it was the same as the first. There were no shots on target in the second half.
Klinsmann made a change in the 16th minute of the second half, 온라인섯다 bringing off Hwang In-beom and Hong Hyun-seok and introducing Lee Sun-min (Gwangju) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton).
Wales threatened in the 20th minute with a header from Moore that hit the post.
South Korea made another change in the 28th minute, with Cho Kyu-sung coming on for Hwang Eui-jo (Norwich City), while Yang Hyun-joon (Celtic) made his A-match debut in the 39th minute, replacing Lee Jae-sung. Lee Dong-kyung (Ulsan) also came on for Park Yong-woo.
Neither team could find a breakthrough in positioning or tactics, and the match ended goalless.
Kim Seung-kyu
Stood out as the goalkeeper who calmly blocked the Welsh attack to keep a clean sheet.
Playing his first A match in six months, Kim showed the stability of a world-class defender. He dominated in height and physicality and was excellent at intercepting passes. His forward passes were also threatening.
Since his appointment, Klinsmann has come under fire for his frequent traveling and ‘working from home’ controversies. He was criticized for being too hands-off with the national team. He attempted to respond with solid performances and wins, but failed to quell the outrage with a bland statement.
Klinsmann’s team will travel to St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England, to face Saudi Arabia at 1:30 a.m. 고스톱 on Nov. 13.