When Would the Depressing Soccer End?

Where can the meaning of evaluation matches be found? The Korean national soccer team’s evaluation match with Tunisie on the 14th was, at least in results, `unproductive`. Tie without goals. However, coach Guus Hiddink emphasized the team was still in the `process` of shaping itself by saying, “I am content with the playing.” Is the team really following the coach’s intention?

Hiddink’s main focus in this year is stamina. His goal is to create the same stamina as European teams by intensive physical training almost every day. However, the pointed problem in the match with Tunisie was lack of stamina. NHK commentator, Okada Takeshi, who was the head coach of Japan in 1998 France World Cup, commented that “the Korean players looked tired, and everybody except the ones who had the ball seemed like they were just standing around”

Although he assured to use the 3-4-3 formation one day before the match, Hiddink suddenly changed the strategy into the two-top formation of 3-4-1-2, testing offensive midfielders and strikers like Ahn Jung-Hwan (Perugia) and Cha Doo-Ri (Korean Univ.) at the same time.

Song Jong-Kuk was placed as the offensive midfielder, along with Lee Chun-Su, in the second half to be tested, but it was not very fruitful as in the Gold Cup tournament at this year’s beginning. On contrary, offense was more active in the sides than in the center, but again, no intimidating offense was made.

Feeling anxious, Hong Myung-Bo (Pohang Steelers) brought out the ball to the front a few times in order to seek offensive chances, but midfielders failed to support sufficiently. Hiddink’s trouble in finding effective playmakers continued throughout the game.

When would they play some winning games then? Korea’s record of A-Match (matches played between national teams) in this year is 1 win, 2 ties, 4 defeats, including the tie on the 13th. In the evaluation match with Tunisie, Korea not only failed to claim the expected victory, but did not even have one satisfactory chance. Hiddink had been saying, “It is self-deceiving to win over weak teams”, to emphasize that it is `helpful` to experience defeats by strong teams. The question, however, is whether `Tunisian B-team` can be called strong. Although `international-based` players, except Ahn Jung-Hwan (Perugia), were all excluded, both the contents and result of the game are disappointing considering that Tunisie had none of its starting members. Korea is to be tested once again in the match with Finland, whose major players will also be excluded, at 11 p.m. on the 20th (Korean time).

Sung-Won Joo swon@donga.com