Korean soccer suffers a shocking 4-run defeat against Ivory Coast

The Korean national soccer team lost 0-4 in a friendly match against Ivory Coast held at Milton Keynes Stadium MK in England on the 28th (local time). This match was the 1,000th international match in Korean soccer, but the monumental moment was recorded as a crushing defeat.

Captain Son Heung-min (LAFC) said after the game, "I'm glad it's not the World Cup right now." He came on as a substitute in the 13th minute of the second half and moved actively, but was unable to increase his attack points, and bowed his head, saying, "Ultimately, it was my fault for not being able to change the mood even though my teammates were having a hard time."

Three-back defense collapsed against 1.5-team opponent

Côte d'Ivoire saved starting players such as Amad Diallo (Manchester United) on the bench and selected former French youth representative Martial Godot (Strasbourg) as a starter. In fact, it was 1.5 army strength.

Nevertheless, Korea conceded consecutive goals to Evan Guessang (Crystal Palace) in the 35th minute of the first half and to Simon Adingra (AS Monaco) in extra time of the first half. In the second half, Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Cho Gyu-seong (Midtjylland) were brought in, but instead they allowed Godo's third goal in the 17th minute of the second half and even allowed a key goal to Wilfried Singo (Galatasaray) in extra time in the second half.

Structural vulnerabilities of three bags exposed

The three-back strategy chosen by coach Hong Myung-bo was completely defeated. Although it was a system that increased the number of players at the back, the actual number of defenders was only three as both wingbacks climbed too high when attacking. A wide space was opened on the side, and the Ivory Coast attackers continued to beat the defense by dribbling through.

Center back Cho Yu-min (Al-Sharjah) made a series of mistakes while responding alone, and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), in the center of the three-back, remained in a passive role, only stepping in to cover after the side was cleared. There was no scene in which Kim Min-jae's strength of interpersonal defense could be demonstrated.

Build-up was also a problem. Even though Côte d'Ivoire did not press hard, the Korean players repeatedly turned the ball back and ended up with a long ball from the goalkeeper. The absence of Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) due to injury was significant.

Plenty of tasks 3 months before the World Cup

Son Heung-min selected positioning as an offensive task. “I have to play in an uncomfortable way to make the opponent uncomfortable,” he said. “If you have to be in an uncomfortable position to receive the ball, it will be uncomfortable for the opponent to block,” he emphasized. “In soccer, details ultimately change a lot.”

Although Korea had the misfortune of hitting the goalpost three times, it is considered not enough to take comfort in the loss by 4 goals. Hong Myung-boho will play his second friendly match against Austria on the 1st of next month. With less than three months left until the World Cup, concerns are growing that if the structural weaknesses of the three-back are not addressed, it could collapse in the same way at the final stage.