Advocaat: Flexibility Is Defense’s Key

Dick Advocaat has used the 4-3-3 formation four times in five matches this year.

This formation requires each of four defenders to guard his designated portion of the field. The merit of this defensive formation is that no matter how many attackers the opposing team fields, a team defensive structure can be maintained.

But poor coordination among defenders can result in a hole in the defensive line. Central defender Choi Jin-cheol (Jeonbuk) explains, “A four-back system is a zone defense tactic, which means cover play is key and good teamwork is a must.” This formation also emphasizes the role of the third midfielder, who stays slightly behind the two other midfielders.

Yi Ho (Ulsan) played this role in the match against Greece, and Kim Nam-il (Suwon) played this position in the match against Denmark. This midfielder is expected to put pressure on the opposition’s counterattacks, seek out and cover the space that supports the defense, and join the attack whenever possible. This requires a tremendous amount of stamina.

The 3-4-3-

The 3-4-3 is a highly offensive formation. Aside from three attackers, numerous midfielders near the offensive line can join the attack in a blink of an eye.

But its offensive characteristics can lead to weaknesses on defense. When midfielders are engaged in attacks in the opposition’s side, a team is vulnerable to counterattacks off of long passes because there are too few midfielders left back to defend.

Additionally, the short supply of defenders on both the right and left sides calls for strong counterattack awareness. A lack of such awareness was on display in Korea’s January 18 match against the United Arab Emirates when a long pass penetrated the left side effortlessly and a goal was scored one second later.

This weakness must be covered by descending midfielders on both sides. Midfielders on both sides must have good stamina since they have to join in attacks and run quickly back on defense.

Which Formation Suits Korea Best?

Korea used a 3-4-3 formation in its march to the 2002 World Cup semifinals.

Generally, when the opposing team fields two attackers, a three-back defense can be effective. But when the opposition employs three attackers, a four-back defense can give the defense the upper hand.

The problem is that no teams playing modern soccer use just one formation throughout a match. A variety of formations are tried during a game. Among Korea’s World Cup main round opponents in Group G, France and Togo often play with three attackers, while Switzerland likes to play two. But all are flexible in employing other tactics.

“Advocaat is training the team to match the flexibility of opposing teams,” KBS commentator Yi Yong-su says. “It is not important which formation we start in; what is important is how we cope with changing situations.”

Won-Hong Lee bluesky@donga.com