1000th A match, disastrous report card

The Korean national soccer team lost 0-4 to Ivory Coast. In an evaluation match held at Milton Keynes Stadium MK in England on the 28th, Korea ranked 37th in the FIFA rankings and collapsed after conceding 4 goals to a 1.5-team opponent that was sparing of its starting players. The 1,000th international match in Korean soccer was recorded as a bitter defeat.

Captain Son Heung-min (LAFC) bowed his head after the game, saying, "I'm glad this game wasn't the World Cup." This statement carries added weight as it came with less than three months left before the World Cup.

Three-back tactic, structural limitations revealed

This match was a mock test to prepare for South Africa, which will meet in the World Cup group stage. However, the three-back tactic chosen by coach Hong Myung-bo was powerless against an opponent with a high-quality winger.

They allowed the first goal to Evan Guessang (Crystal Palace) in the 35th minute of the first half, and the second goal to Simon Adingra (AS Monaco) in extra time of the first half. Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Cho Gyu-seong (Midtjylland) were brought in in the second half, but the situation did not improve. Rather, they suffered a crushing defeat by conceding additional goals to Martial Godot (Strasbourg) in the 17th minute of the second half and Wilfried Singo (Galatasaray) in extra time of the second half.

The problem was clear. It was a three-back system with more numbers at the back, but since both wingbacks went too high when attacking, there were only three people in actual defense. A wide space was opened on the side, and the Ivory Coast attackers continuously beat the defense by dribbling through. Center back Jo 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, covering only after the side was opened.

Stagnant build-up, lack of tactical flexibility

The process of developing the attack was also frustrating. Even though Côte d'Ivoire did not press hard, the defenders and midfielders repeatedly turned the ball back, ultimately ending up with a long ball from the goalkeeper. The analysis is that the absence of Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) due to injury was significant.

The forward pressure, which was effective until the 20th minute of the first half, was immediately neutralized when Côte d'Ivoire switched to long balls targeting the back space starting from the rehydration break. They failed to find a response during the game and repeatedly conceded goals in the same manner, showing no tactical flexibility at all. Although he had the misfortune of hitting the goal post three times, it is no excuse for his lack of decisiveness in not being able to score a single goal.

‘Collapse of defense against European opponents’ repeated since 2018

This is not the first time that the Korean national team has seen its side defense collapse against African and European teams that have many players playing in the European big leagues. Even when losing 0-1 to Sweden in the 2018 Russia World Cup, the failure to manage the side space was crucial. In the 2022 Qatar World Cup match against Ghana (2-3 loss), the side was breached by wingers with good individual skills, and they conceded consecutive goals.

The problem is that even though this pattern is repeated, no fundamental solution has been found. Even after the three-back conversion, managing the lateral space still remains a task.

Future outlook [AI analysis]

Hong Myung-boho will have his second friendly match against Austria on the 1st of next month. If the structural weaknesses of the three-back revealed in this game are not addressed, there is a high possibility that they will collapse in the same way in the World Cup finals.

In the short term, controlling the timing of wingbacks' participation in defense is essential. The current method, in which both wingbacks move up high at the same time when attacking, can be fatal against teams with high-level counterattacking capabilities. An asymmetric operation in which only one wing participates in the attack while the other side maintains the defensive line can be discussed as an alternative.

In the mid- to long-term, it appears that the possibility of returning to the back four should be left open. The fact that Kim Min-jae's man-to-man defense ability is not fully demonstrated in the center of the three-back could also be a reason to reconsider the strategy. As there is not much time left until the World Cup, the game against Austria is likely to be a watershed that determines the tactical direction.