A simple trial is turning into a “guillotine match” that could leave a coach pondering his future.
That’s what Klinsmann is referring to as he prepares for a friendly against Saudi Arabia in the Middle East. The South Korean national soccer team, led by Jürgen Klinsmann, will play its second September A match against Saudi Arabia at St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England, on Sept. 13 at 1:30 a.m. (KST).
The team is camped and training at the training center of London club Brentford. On Sept. 11, they will fly to Newcastle on a chartered flight provided by their opponents, the Saudis, to make final preparations for the match.
It’s Klinsmann’s highly anticipated first trip to Europe since taking over as head coach, but there is a cynicism surrounding the squad. Klinsmann’s side played their first September A match against Wales at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, England, on Sept. 8, but were held to a narrow 0-0 draw in a nervy affair that saw the opposition hit the post. It was Klinsmann’s first clean sheet since taking over, but he was embarrassed by the lackluster offense.
Although the team retained Premier League top scorer Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Hwang Eui-jo (Norwich City), and Cho Kyu-sung (Mitwillan) from the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Taegeuk Warriors’ trademark offense that took the initiative at the World Cup was nowhere to be seen under the new coach.
Even with Wales (35th) fielding a 1.5-man squad that was lower than Korea’s (28th) in the FIFA rankings, Klinsmann’s men were outshot 4-10 and went just 1-4 on target. This is where the phrase “thank goodness for the goal” comes in.
In particular, Klinsmann’s buildup was poor, as the Welsh struggled with the thick defense and forward pressure. The overlapping of the left and right fullbacks and the lack of killer passes from the central midfield led to a fundamental question: what is soccer for? 카지노
Klinsmann alone said: “It was a very difficult game. Both teams struggled to execute their game plan and didn’t create many chances. But it was an evenly matched game,” he said in a positive tone, but not many are taking it at face value.
The team has now gone five games without a win.
Klinsmann, who took over in March, had a pleasant 45 minutes in his first game against Colombia, blasting two goals in the first half after setting up Son Heung-min with a free-flowing ball into the attacking third. But that was the last of the joyous moments, and since then, he has been criticized for a tactical style that is at the very least unclear, a mercenary approach that fails to identify players, and a lack of results.
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