Today’s World Cup qualifier against Lebanon
It’s a pity that it’s time to tune in with overseas groups
Heung-Min Son needs to shake off the vacancy and away burden
If the UAE does not win after winning, they will advance to the finals
If you look at the FIFA rankings alone, Lebanon (95th) is not an opponent to be afraid of Korea (33rd). However, this time, factors that remind me of ‘The Nightmare of Beirut’ piled up one after another. In order for the national soccer team to defeat Lebanon, the ‘away enemy’, three factors must be overcome.
The national team entered Lebanon on the 26th (Korean time) after a lot of hard work, where they will play the 7th game of the 2022 Qatar World Cup final qualifier. It was originally scheduled to be departed by afternoon flight from Istanbul International Airport, but the airport was closed for the first time in history due to a snowstorm in decades. The national team crossed the Bosphorus Strait from Europe in Istanbul and moved to Sabiha Gökchen Airport in Asia and managed to get on a plane at 11:15 p.m. to arrive in Lebanon. It was an intercontinental movement to go to Lebanon.
Bentuho’s first anxiety factor is ‘time’. The K-League players, who led the victories over Iceland (5-1) and Moldova (4-0), and overseas players who joined after each league match did not have time to work together on the ground. In Istanbul, due to heavy snow, training was replaced by indoor autonomous exercise.
The second factor is that Son Heung-min (30, Tottenham) and Hwang Hee-chan (26, Wolverhampton), who had been looking forward to the last, failed to join. Hwang Ui-jo (30, Bordeaux), who boosted his confidence with a hat-trick, and Kwon Chang-hoon (28, Kim Cheon), who scored the winning goal against Lebanon in the second game in Suwon last year, are the ones who need to find a solution.
Last but not least is the away game. Korea has an overwhelming advantage over Lebanon with 11 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss, but in away matches, they have 4 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss. 50% away win rate. In addition, Sidon’s Saida Municipal Stadium, where the match will be held at 9 pm on the 27th (Korean time), is no better than the Sports City Stadium in Beirut, where they suffered their first loss 11 years ago. At that time, the national team struggled in the hollowed out ground and lost 1-2 to Lebanon. We also have to overcome the one-sided and enthusiastic support of the home fans, which will be poured out together in the rainy season of Lebanon, which is the rainy season. If the national team overcomes difficulties in the 7th game and beat Lebanon while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) draws or loses to Syria, Korea will early confirm their entry into the finals for the 10th consecutive World Cup.
Reporter Jang Hyung-woo