"0 goals, 5 runs, 2 consecutive losses." Why did the World Cup "just two months ago"... Hong Myung-bo Team "The worst crisis ever."

*This content was translated by AI.

Even the final rehearsal for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. was disastrous. In fact, Plan A tactics for the World Cup finals did not work in both games, from the match against Ivory Coast to the match against Austria.

The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, lost 0-1 to Austria in a warm-up match at Ernst Havel Stadium in Vienna, Austria, on the 1st (Korea Standard Time).

It is a total of two away matches in Europe following the 0-4 defeat against Ivory Coast on the 28th. The report card of 0 points and 5 runs during this March A match, which was the last mock test before the announcement of the final entry for the World Cup, darkens the prospects for the World Cup finals just around the corner.

Coach Hong Myung-bo stuck to the 3-4-2-1 formation in the match against Austria despite the defeat in the match against Ivory Coast. He tried to make changes by changing the starting list of eight, but the chronic problems of the three-back were repeated. In the third minute of the second half, Marcel Javicher (Dortmund) connected Ksaber Schlager's cutback with a right-footed non-stop shot from the gate to open the Korean goal. Even though there were a number of defenders such as Kim Joo-sung (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Han-beom (Mit Willan) in the penalty box, they could not control the opponent's penetration and shooting space at all.

This is in line with the previous catastrophe against Ivory Coast. At that time, South Korea operated a three-back leading to Kim Tae-hyun (Kashiwa Reysol), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Cho Yoo-min (Sharja), but the defense line collapsed in front of the opponent's personal skills. In particular, the right defensive line, where Cho Yoo-min was deployed, was thoroughly attacked by opposing wingers Marcial Godot and Simon Adingra, providing an excuse for the loss. Even though world-class center back Kim Min-jae struggled, it was not enough to fill the holes of the defense that had already cracked.

The lack of decision-making power of the offense was painful as well as defense. Son Heung-min (LAFC), who started against Austria, faced several decisive one-on-one opportunities with the support of Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), but his shot turned away from the goal or was blocked by the goalkeeper. In the 18th minute of the second half, Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Hong Hyun-seok (Hent), and Yang Hyun-joon (Celtic) were added at the same time instead of Lee Jae-sung, Kim Jin-kyu (Jeonbuk Hyundai), and Lee Tae-seok (Austria Vienna), but the results did not change.

The situation was similar against Ivory Coast. Oh Hyun-kyu (Besiktashi), Seol Young-woo (Trvena Zvezda), and Lee Kang-in's shots were unfortunate to hit the post three times, but as a result, they never shook the opponent's net for 180 minutes. Oh Hyun-kyu, Um Ji-sung (Swansea City), and Kwon Hyuk-kyu (Carlsruhe), who were deployed at the end of the game, also failed to make a significant turnaround.

From the 0-4 defeat against Ivory Coast, the 1,000th A match in Korean soccer history, to the helpless defeat against Austria, this European away match is expected to be the biggest crisis since the launch of Hong Myung-bo Team. In particular, the A-match in March was more shocking because it was a customized warm-up match targeting Mexico and South Africa, the group league opponents. The inexperienced response exposed by the main midfielders and defenders just around the corner of the finals was too fatal to dismiss as bad luck.

It is on the verge of a catastrophe at the World Cup. Coach Hong Myung-bo insisted on the three-back tactic, which was virtually selected as Plan A with less than three months left before the World Cup finals, throughout the two consecutive European away games, but the result left only a disastrous result of a scoreless mass loss.

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*This content was translated by AI.