Can Team Korea Stop Mexico’s Offense?

Team Korea will face Mexico at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 16 at 12:30 a.m. (Korea time).

Mexico is a powerful offensive team that has scored 67 goals in 18 World Cup preliminary matches this season. Korea has scored 18 goals in 12 matches. Korea’s past match record against Mexico is three wins, two draws, and five losses.

Mexico will field all of its regular attackers, except for its most famous offensive star, Jared Borghetti. Five other stars will play: Goalie Oswaldo Sanchez, side defender Carlos Salsido, defensive midfielders Pavel Pardo and Antonio Naelson, and forward Francisco Jose Fonseca. Mexico mainly uses a 3-5-2 formation.

Against Korea, Mexico will play Fonseca and Adolfo Bautista as its two top forwards. Fonseca has scored 10 goals in World Cup preliminary games, Bautista has scored four, and midfielder Luis Perez has scored five.

Team Korea will use a four-back defense against Mexico. The national team’s acting manager Pim Verbeek is focusing on perfecting the team’s four-back defense because the Mexico match will likely be the last testing ground for Korea’s four-back formation.

Against Mexico, Korea will feature Kim Dong-jin, Jo Won-hee, Choi Jin-cheol as defenders; Yi Ho, Kim Nam-il, Kim Du-hyeon as midfielders; and Park Ju-young, Jo Jae-jin, and Lee Chun-su as attackers. A point of interest in the upcoming match is how effective Korea’s four-back defense, as well as its teamwork and speed, will be. Defensive midfielders Yi Ho and Kim Nam-il will play a key role in stopping Mexico’s attack.

Won-Hong Lee bluesky@donga.com