The South Korean national soccer team earned a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia. It was the first win in six games under new head coach Jürgen Klinsmann.
South Korea beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in an exhibition match at St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England, on Sept. 13.먹튀검증
Klinsmann, who took over the reins of the South Korean national team in February, hasn’t won a game in his last five matches, with three draws and two defeats.
Desperate for a first win, Klinsmann lined up Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Cho Kyu-sung (Mitwylan) up front, with Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) on the flanks and Hwang In-beom (Zvezda) and Park Yong-woo (Al Ain) in the midfield. Lee Ki-je (Suwon), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Jung Seung-hyun, and Seol Young-woo (Ulsan) started in defense, while Kim Seung-kyu (Al-Shabaab) was in goal.
Both teams battled for possession in the early stages of the match, but the 0-0 balance was broken in the 32nd minute when Cho Kyu-sung’s header found the Saudi net. Hwang In-beom’s forward pass was cleared by the defense and bounced high into the air, where Cho Kyu-sung calmly slotted it into the left side of the goal.
Cho worked diligently from the start of the match, putting pressure on the opposing defense. Eventually, he rewarded Klinsmann with a goal. It was 289 days since Cho opened the scoring for South Korea at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a multi-goal performance in the second group game against Ghana.
The momentum then shifted in South Korea’s favor and they pushed the Saudis relentlessly.
South Korea scored in the 36th minute when Son Heung-min, off a pass from Cho Kyu-sung, was one-on-one with the goalkeeper and was brought down by a tackle from Hassan Tambakti, but the referee did not blow the whistle.
South Korea took off Cho Kyu-sung and Hwang Hee-chan in the 23rd minute of the second half and introduced Hwang Eui-jo (Norwich City) and Moon Sun-min (Jeonbuk).
In the 33rd minute, Lee Jae-sung was removed and Kang Sang-woo (Beijing Guoan) entered the field.
It was a close call, with a passing error near the danger area leading to an opponent’s shot on goal, but the Koreans were able to hold on and prevent the Saudis from scoring the winner.
Klinsmann took off Son Heung-min and Hwang In-beom in the 46th minute and brought on Oh Hyun-gyu (Celtic) and Lee Sun-min (Gwangju) to seal the win.
Klinsmann, who faced harsh criticism from fans over the ‘foreign oil and trade controversy’, took the opportunity to turn the tide with this victory.
Meanwhile, Klinsmann’s men will face Tunisia (Oct. 13, 8 p.m., Seoul World Cup Stadium) and Vietnam (Oct. 17, 8 p.m., Suwon World Cup Stadium).
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