Soccer team aims to control flanks, air game vs. Australia

National soccer coach Cho Kwang-rae has expressed confidence of defeating Australia in their second game of the Asian Cup in Qatar.

“While Australia is a strong team, it has some flaws on defense. So it’s not a dreadful opponent if our team recovers its passing ability,” Cho said Wednesday in practice at Al-Wakrah Stadium.

The Socceroos practiced on an annex field at a site opposite of the stadium around the same time but limited public access to just 15 minutes of warm-ups. The Taegeuk Warriors were confident enough to open their entire practice to the public.

Australia is considered one of the four contenders to win the tournament along with South Korea. With two-thirds of its players active professionally in Europe, Australia executes European-style power soccer and how South Korea manages that could hold the key to Friday’s game.

○ Ki Sung-yueng vs. Jason Culina

The key to Australia’s offense is preventing penetration by its flankers followed by a cross. After watching the Socceroos demolish India, 4-0, Cho Young-jeung, the head of the South Korean team, said Australia employed the 4-4-2 formation that looked more like 4-2-4 because side midfielders reached deep inside the opponent’s side of the field.

Australia attempted 56 crosses and 12 corner kicks in the win, with defensive midfielder Jason Culina supplying the ball to the sides.

The Taegeuk Warriors aim to stop Culina`s ball distribution by using Ki Sung-yueng, who plays the same position as Culina. “My mission is to engage the first line of blocking Culina to ease the pressure on our defenders,” Ki said.

Coach Cho also said he prepared central defenders including Ki to stop Australia from attempting crosses.

To reinforce defense on the flanks, Cho is considering putting Lee Yong-rae, who usually stands on the same line as Ki, near the second line formed by Park Ji-sung, Koo Ja-cheol and Lee Chung-yong. Intercepting attacks on the side creates opportunities for counterattack.

Striker Ji Dong-won said, “If we intercept the ball, we`ll find it easy to switch to offense because there’s a lot of space in the middle.”

○ Aerial combat

Australia’s offensive strategy of using its flanks is even more powerful because the team has tall players with good heading ability.

South Korea is expected to field defender Hwang Jae-won, who stands 186 centimeters tall (6 feet 1 inch) and can hold his own physically, to replace Kwak Tae-hwi. Kwak must sit out the game after receiving a red card in the 2-1 win over Bahrain Monday.

Australia’s Tim Cahill, who scored twice against India, is only 178 centimeters (5 feet 10 inches) tall but is adept at heading. He also has tall teammates in midfielder Mile Jedinak (189 centimeters or 6 feet 2.5 inches) and defenders Saša Ognenovski (195 centimeters or 6 feet 5 inches) and Lucas Neill (185 centimeters or 6 feet 1 inch), who are effective in set pieces.

How South Korea will fare in the air battle versus Australia is another thing to watch for in the game.

kimsk@donga.com