A Win is Necessary

“Now we need a win.”

As head coach of the Korean Olympic soccer team, Kim Ho-gon said, “It could be better, but I am satisfied.” The Korean Olympic soccer team overcame an obstacle by playing home team Greece to a draw and gaining one point. The Korean team now has to run forward toward the primary goal of making it to the quarterfinals.

For the Olympic soccer games, 16 countries are divided into four groups of four teams, and the top two teams progress to the quarterfinals, which is played as a tournament. The team standings are decided on points, goal difference, more goals scored, and finally the won-loss record against each other.

In order to advance to the next round, the Korean team has to win at least one game against either Mexico, which it will play against on August 15, or Mali, which will be played on August 18. One win is equivalent to three points and is a requisite to earning at least the second spot in the group-standings and advancing to the quarterfinals.

Kim said, “When we play against Mexico I will replace Kim Chi-gon, who was ejected, with Cho Byung-gook, and we will play aggressively.”

Korea has to play the next two games at full-strength because after the watching the Mexico-Mali game, first time Olympic comer Mali and Olympic soccer 19th ranked Mexico seem to be equally as strong.

The Korean Olympic team is ranked 26th, and its record against the Mexican Olympic soccer team is one win, three draws, and a loss. Eight years ago at the Atlanta Olympic Games, the Korean team played to a 0-0 draw against the Mexican team.

Mexico is a tough opponent with quick and skillful players, a characteristic of Latin American teams, and Korea will have to defend and disrupt Mexico’s offense from the mid-field. The Mexican team uses a 4-4-2 formation, and Toluca player Israel Lopez, 30, who joined as a wildcard, is the core of the offense. In addition, wingback Mario Perez’s sharp cross-passes after dribbling through the defense are very threatening. Omar Bravo and Rafael Marquez are the two forwards.

On August 12, the Korean team moved from Thessaloniki to Athens and started practicing to prepare for the August 15 game against Mexico in Karaiskaki.