Ending this summer’s World Cup on a high with victory over the outgoing world champions, turned what could’ve been construed as an abject looking campaign, into a relative success, despite failure to progress from the group stage. Never mind the final gloss, changes have been long overdue for South Korea and with the appointment of Paulo Bento on the run up to the Asian Cup, improvement seems to have raced quickly to their cause.
Korea’s clash with Germany to end their campaign in Russia will live long in the memory. While much had to do with an off-key performance from the group favourites, South Korea executed their game plan perfectly, a positive that shouldn’t be underplayed in assessing Shin Tae-yong’s mediocre time in charge. Despite their last day heroics however, stagnation in their opening two encounters left them severely off the beat.
Defensively they were too often found out, while in possession they looked out of ideas. The campaign (but for the Germany victory) could have been perfectly summed up by the deployment of Kim Shin-wook from the start as their lone front man against arguably their easiest opponent in Sweden, primarily to negate the Swedes aerial attacking threat. Shin was never a man to disappoint in press conferences, but this confession illustrated their reactive mentality, which might allude to why they did so well against a possession hungry German side.
Going forward, the new cycle requires a more attacking, proactive Korea that utilises its full strengths, in which they have many. Korean fans were weary of the cautious attitude demonstrated by previous coach Uli Stielike, who despite leading the side to an Asian Cup final, rolled out an unnecessarily defensive approach that nearly cost them qualification. A sea change in mentality was intrinsically needed and given the start Paulo Bento has had over the last four months, it looks as though the KFA have offered up a masterstroke.
Bento arrives in Korea with a chequered past. He coached his home nation of Portugal to the Euros semi-finals in 2012 yet failed to progress past the group stage at the World Cup in 2014. From there it has been failure after failure, including a below par stint at Olympiacos and most recently a relegation threatened tenure at Chongqing Lifan in China. Bento probably couldn’t believe his luck in receiving the Korea job, and with it his positivity and true managerial talent has really stood out.
Appointed with the long term aim of the World Cup in 2022, Bento has been one of only a few coaches on a similar mandate to publicly target success at January’s Asian Cup. Six friendly matches unbeaten, including an impressive tour of Australia, drawing with the reigning Asian champions, before easing to victory over Uzbekistan, the Bento era has started well. The team’s identity looks to have returned, thus bringing through a range of options in attacking areas and the flexibility to mix approaches.
Such depth will indeed prove handy come January, given the ever-growing absentee list. Injuries to arguably their first and second choice number 10’s Kwon Chang-hoon and Nam Tae-hee will have been felt ever the greater by talisman Son Heung-min’s absence for the first two group matches, as he repays his club side Tottenham Hotspur for granting leave for the Asian Games earlier this year. It could be argued the other way, but the ill-discipline of regular centre back Jang Hyn-soo in the last few months has cost Korea plenty in terms of defensive experience.
With the exclusions, comes a chance for the younger generation to prosper. Jang’s lifetime ban for falsifying civil service papers has fortunately come at a time where Korea have a ready-made heir in their ranks. Kim Min-jae has just had a standout season at the heart of the Jeonbuk Motors defence, attracting interest of late from China. His ability on the ball, and reaction in quick transition has already caught the eye of Bento, which should guarantee him a starting spot in the Emirates. The other, Hwang In-beom, who still plays in the Korean second tier, has also seen a rapid rise, including the Asian Games success, that could see him benefit the most from the gaps in central attacking areas that injuries have opened up.
Getting the very best from the “supporting cast” has long been an ambition of the national team, and with Son’s absence in the initial group phase matches, Bento is forced early to find a plan B to Korea’s regularly focussed attack. At his disposal, Bento can call upon the red-hot form of Hwang Ui-jo to lead the line but can also mix it up with the movement of Hwang Hee-chan or the physical presence of Suk Hyun-jun. Son’s absence in the end could provide more dividends than headaches in the end, as Korea can shape a winning formula before bringing their key man back into the mix rather than experimenting around him.
South Korea’s gold medal winning campaign at the Asian Games can’t be underestimated in its emotional effect it will generate throughout to the senior squad either. Chasing military exemption remained the route to the heart of their progress, yet the way it was achieved can’t be ignored. The last four years have seen conservative, percentage playing tactics that have sucked positivity out of national football, the win in Indonesia coupled with the appointment of Bento has reinvigorated hopes going into the new year.
Considering their challengers, South Korea can rate themselves as worthy pretenders to the Asian Cup crown. Australia and Japan head into this as a work in progress, clearly stating the long-term goals (both World Cup and Olympic campaigns) over their immediate concerns, while the best side of the last four years Iran, are regularly better playing as the underdog than the side on the front foot. The aspects are slotting together kindly; the managerial appointment, the influx of youth, the Asian Games gold, and the style of play all suggest a lengthy run in the Emirates for Korea.
Key Men
Head Coach - Paulo Bento (POR)
Former Portugal and Sporting CF boss, has surprised many with his early success as Korean national team boss, replacing Shin Tae-yong upon Korea’s exit from the World Cup. While his overall brief has focussed on the 2022 World Cup, he’s publicly announced his intention to succeed at the Asian Cup, forging a strong looking squad in recent warm up friendlies.
Star Player - Son Heung-min
Considered South Korea’s most talented player ever, and the most successful Asian player in recent history, an eventful year for Son will end with a limited showing at the Asian Cup, after agreeing to arrive late for tournament. Often criticised for failing to show his A-game for the national team, Son is slowly taking on a more experienced role in the squad, creating from deep more than he does for his club side.
Under Pressure - Suk Hyun-jun
Long considered, the heir to Park Chu-yong, Suk’s progression as South Korea’s leading striker hasn’t quite ignited. Having knocked around a few clubs in Europe, Suk’s progress at Troyes was halted thanks to an unprofessional attitude, and his subsequent transfer to Reims has failed to blossom. With little alternatives available, will likely still be used as a bench player in the Emirates.
Young Prospect - Hwang In-beom
A revelation this season, Hwang’s international career has taken flight since Bento’s arrival, taking advantage of injuries around him to all but secure a starting spot in January. The 22-year-old has already shown his flexibility, to either be utilised as a holding midfielder or a more attacking box-to-box creator but could well step in for the injured Nam Tae-hee as Korea’s number 10.
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