[골닷컴] Correspondent Kang Dong-hun = The road to the World Cup round of 16 is a long and difficult one. Even after drawing Uruguay, losing to Ghana, Bentuho had to consider the ‘number of cases’. Depending on the results of the final match in Group H, whether or not they can advance to the knockout stage depends on the precondition that they must win the match against Portugal.
The Korean national soccer team, led by coach Paulo Bento (53, Portugal), held on the 28th (Korean time) at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, in the second leg of Group H of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar World Cup group stage against Ghana 2nd lost by -3.
On this day, Bentoho was shaken as he scored two goals in the first half alone, but Cho Kyu-seong (24, Jeonbuk Hyundai)’s multi-goal set the game back to square one. However, once again, as the concentration fell in defense, it was unfortunately lost by conceding a goal, and was ranked 3rd in Group H (1 draw, 1 loss, 1 win, -1 goal, 2 points).
In the following match, Portugal defeated Uruguay 2-0, confirming their advance to the round of 16 first in Group H. Portugal has secured at least second place in the group with two consecutive wins, and depending on the results of the final match, the first place in the group is likely.
Now, Bentoho is competing against Ghana (1 win, 1 loss, 3 points, 0 goal, 5 points) and Uruguay (1 draw, 1 loss, 1 goal, -2 goal, 0 points) for the remaining one ticket to advance to the round of 16. It became a competitive composition. But it’s not easy. In order to advance to the round of 16, the premise follows that Portugal must first be defeated. If they draw or lose against Portugal, they are automatically eliminated from the group stage. In the final battle, you must burn your fighting spirit and create a miracle.
Even if you beat Portugal, you can’t like it as much as it is. This is because advance to the round of 16 is not confirmed. The fate of advancing to the round of 16 depends on the results of the game against Uruguay and Ghana, which will be held at the same time.
First of all, if Uruguay beats Ghana, Bentuho will be tied with Uruguay with 4 points. If the points are the same, the rankings are determined in the order of ‘goal loss-multiple points-win-win-fair play’, and Bentuho is currently ahead of Uruguay in both goal difference and goals, so there is a high possibility of an advantageous result. For Bentuho, it is best for Uruguay to beat Ghana by one goal.
If Uruguay and Ghana draw, Bentuho is tied with Ghana at 4 points and will have to calculate the goal difference again. If Bentuho wins against Portugal by one goal, they will have to score multiple points, but Ghana is ahead, so advancing to the round of 16 is unlikely. A win over Portugal by two goals or more is required to advance to the round of 16 ahead of Ghana on goal difference.
The worst thing for Bento is besides not catching Portugal. This is the case when Ghana wins against Uruguay. In this case, Portugal and Ghana advance to the round of 16. In the end, Bentojo should either beat Portugal and Uruguay beat Ghana by one goal, or beat Portugal by two goals or more and hope Uruguay and Ghana draw.
The final group match against Portugal, where Bentuho’s fate will be decided, will be held at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar at 0:00 am on the 3rd of next month. The game between Uruguay and Ghana will be held at the same time at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar.