Stabilize the Inconsistent Teamwork

D-200 days.

The Korean national soccer team, `Hiddink squad` still has a long journey to go.

Head Coach Guus Hiddink said after the 2-0 complete victory in game with Croatia on 10th, ``My plan proved right. From the beginning I wanted to improve the team`s ability through the matches with stronger teams, and the plan began to pay off. If the team develops its potential in the future, we will be able to get a good result.`` And he declared that he would keep his plan to maximize the team`s ability through scrimmaging with the stronger teams.

However, Huh Jung-Moo, Donga Ilbo soccer commentator, stated clearly, ``I do not refuse the fact that Head Coach Hiddink achieved his purpose to some degree. But this victory only presented the future path of the Korean team, whose destination is still far away.``

The soccer experts counted on the stabilization of teamwork as the most urgent problem to be worked out for the remaining 200 days until the World Cup.

In evaluation game with Croatia, the Korean team was able to win by employing the strong pressure in the forefront, and outnumbering in the midfield line with the cooperative defense of midfielders and defenders. It could win a 2-0 complete victory with the confident offense, based on the stable defense.

But the problem of inconsistent performance still remained. Although it could win this game working well together, the Korean team has actually shown the severe ups-and-downs in its past performance. It was defeated 0-1 by Senegal on 8th, and it had recorded the shocking 0-5 losses by France in the Confederation Cup and by the Czech Republic during the training camp in Europe. Among 8 wins (3 draws and 5 losses) that the national team recorded, most wins came from the matches against the relatively weak teams.

Therefore, most experts pointed out that the Korean team needed to select the 25-30 best players, and to cultivate the their abilities suitable for each position. In order to advance to the semi-quarter finals, the Korean team now ought to concentrate on training the well-organized teamwork by constituting `the best 11`.

In particular, admitting the fact that the individual abilities of the Korean players are behind the world-renowned players, the Korean soccer should stress on maximizing the teamwork to overcome the limited individual ability.

Next, the Korean team needs to diversify the offensive route. The current national team has mostly depended on the monotonous offensive tactics, centering the ball after side-attacking by the swift players such as Lee Cheon-Soo and Choi Tae-Wook. The team does not attempt the center breakthrough by a series of short passes connecting from the midfield. Thus, the experts pointed out that it would be necessary to find the diverse offensive routes and to raise the goal-making ability for fighting against the world-renowned teams.

yjongk@donga.com