Advocaat`s 3-Pronged Training Method

Korean national soccer team coach Dick Advocaat’s training methods are slowly coming to light during the team’s overseas training camp. Advocaat is taking Korean soccer to the next level with a precise and systematic approach to World Cup preparation, just as former manager Guus Hiddink did in leading Korea to the 2002 World Cup semifinals.

Not Doing it Alone-

There is a division of labor among his coaching staff; Advocaat’s chief coach, Pim Verbeek, designs all the technical and tactical training programs and oversees them. His job is to create programs that players don’t get bored with. His programs consist of passing exercises, set plays, mini-games, and other drills.

Afsin Ghotbi analyzes the opposing teams’ technical features as well as Korean team’s. He analyzes video recordings and extracts data from them that he can use to help players better understand opposing team strategies. Ghotbi is also in charge of jogging, stretching, and all other aspect of the team’s conditioning.

Coach Hong Myung-bo is in charge of communications between the manager and the players. He also assumes the role of a counselor. When he sees a problem in the team’s defense during training or a game, he jumps in and shouts out directions. Advocaat also intends to hire a physical trainer who will take charge of the players’ stamina management.

Advocaat delegates full authority to his coaches and make final decisions upon processing the information they present. He differs from Hiddink, who frequently had confrontations with his coaching staff. Hong Myung-bo describes Advocaat as someone who always asks for the opinions of the coaching staff before making any judgments or decisions.

A Charismatic Tactician-

He also is a fine tactician. His decision to put Jang Hak-yeong, who was dispirited after a poor performance against the United Arab Emirates, into the match against Greece gave him his confidence back. When he took a struggling Jo Won-hee out of the match against Greece on January 22, he showed sensitivity toward his player by offering Jo a hug and a handshake. By now, the players know that he is a man who believes what he sees and not what he hears.

Shin Hyeon-ho, a technical officer from the Korean Football Association, said after watching the match against Greece, “Advocaat seems to have analyzed his players down to the smallest detail. His authority over the players comes from that.”

Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com