Since Hwang Inbeom is not here, it's like "brain arrest"... Hong Myung-bo Team 'Without Plan B' Jungwon Oh My, " Jungwon was a problem as much as the four-run defense.""

*This content was translated by AI.

Hong Myung-bo Team's crushing defeat was not just due to the collapse of its defensive line. The absence of a "field commander" who coordinates the game and opens an offensive route was also painful.

The South Korean men's national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, was completely defeated 0-4 in the March A match warm-up match against Ivory Coast at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, England on the 28th (Korea time).

The defense's fatal back-to-back errors served as an excuse for a large number of runs, but behind the scenes, there was also a control of the midfield that was missing throughout the 90 minutes and a tight attack development. It was a game in which the absence of key midfielder Hwang In-beom was clearly revealed.

On this day, South Korea formed the midfield with "K Leaguer" Kim Jin-kyu and Park Jin-seop. It was a combination that focused on the amount of activity and defensive balance, but it lacked the role of a link to supply high-quality passes to the front when switching to offense.

When creative plays did not come out of the midfield, the strikers in front were completely isolated. Hwang Hee-chan and Bae Joon-ho, who took charge of the left and right sides of the front-line three-top, worked hard by targeting the side directly rather than distributing the ball in the midfield.

Oh Hyun-kyu created a flashy scene of hitting the post in the 20th minute of the first half, but there was no detailed pattern play to enter the final third through the midfield.

Coach Hong Myung-bo sought to turn the mood around by putting in Cho Kyu-sung, Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in at once in the 13th minute of the second half when they were being dragged 0-2. However, despite a large number of key European strikers on the ground, South Korea's attacks did not sharpen significantly.

The reason was the same as in the first half. As there is no path stem to poke forward in the midfield, even Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in had to come down deep to the bottom of the half-line and carry the ball themselves. Lee Kang-in and Baek Seung-ho shot at the end of the second half, but it was not enough to reverse the flow of the game.

In this match, South Korea showed how much it needs the presence of Hwang In-beom, the commander of the midfield. The national team's offensive route was monotonous when the playmaker, who could control the tempo, change directions left and right, and poke a decisive forward pass in the midfield, was absent.

Amid Hwang In-beom's frequent injuries, it is unknown what variables will arise in the national team's midfield in the World Cup finals. Finding a midfield combination without Hwang In-beom is an urgent task for the national team.

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*This content was translated by AI.