Klinsmann’s difficult ‘first win’, there are players but no players… Missing change, disappeared tension [Soccer Topic]

‘Klinsmannho’ achieved his first win in 6 A matches.

The national soccer team led by coach Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany) lost 1-0 in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia held at St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England on the 13th (Korean time) thanks to Cho Kyu-seong’s (Midtjylland) header and winning goal in the 32nd minute of the first half. won ‘Klinsmannho’, which had only 3 draws and 2 losses since its inception until the match against Wales (0-0 draw) in August, was able to turn things around with its first win.

However, if you think about it calmly, it was lacking in many ways. Above all, the fixed best lineup caused concern. Of the 11 players who started against Saudi Arabia, 10 were the same as against Wales. Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) replaced Hong Hyun-seok (Gent)메이저놀이터, who was called to coach Hwang Seon-hong’s U-24 national team ahead of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

They took control of the game and launched an active offensive, but as time passed, the national team’s movements became noticeably sluggish. This is because the organization was not perfect. Many mistakes were made in this process. If the opponent had been a European or South American powerhouse rather than Saudi Arabia, there were many scenes where a goal would have been conceded.

The decline in physical strength was also noticeable. The gap between attack and defense was not enough, so at the end of the second half, the team was busy blocking the opponent’s attack. Fullbacks Seol Young-woo (Ulsan Hyundai) and Lee Ki-je (Suwon Samsung) were late in returning to defense after overlapping, and central defender Jeong Seung-hyun (Ulsan) made several heartbreaking misses.

Nevertheless, the national team bench was stingy with replacements and passive about change. In the 23rd minute of the second half, they removed Cho Kyu-sung and Hwang Hee-chan and sent in Hwang Ui-jo (Norwich City) and Moon Seon-min (Jeonbuk Hyundai), and 10 minutes later, they gave Kang Sang-woo (Beijing Guoan) a chance to replace Lee Jae-seong (Mainz), but everyone said he was a veteran in his 30s. In this respect, it was difficult to expect explosive energy. Oh Hyun-gyu (Celtic) and Lee Soon-min (Gwangju FC), who stepped on the pitch in extra time in the second half, were not replaced to achieve anything.

Director Klinsmann repeatedly called for a long period of collaboration and emphasized ‘generational change.’ He often said that the big picture for the national team was the North and Central America World Cup three years from now. However, in reality, rigid player selection was repeated.

After the Asian Games, young players will return, but the national team’s multinational coaching staff not only has no information about players playing on non-European stages, but also is not interested in them. This is the fundamental reason why healthy tension cannot be expected in a standardized national team. Coach Klinsmann and the national team will need to show a different side in the two-game domestic international match against Tunisia and Vietnam in October.