'Legend behind the '4-Team Myth': Lee Young-pyo, Committee Member, Speaks His Mind: "Hong Myung-bo's Team Must... to Defeat Czech Republic" [From Guadalajara]

*This content was translated by AI.

'KBS commentator Lee Young-pyo, who participated in three World Cups during his playing career and won the opening match in all of them, offered sharp advice and tactical solutions to his junior teammates under coach Hong Myung-bo ahead of the group stage's first match.

'On the 7th (local time), Committee Member Lee Young-pyo met with reporters at the Chivas Valle Verde training ground in Guadalajara, Mexico, and recalled, "In the three World Cups I participated in 2002, 2006, and 2010, I was fortunate to win the opening matches against Poland, Togo, and Greece."

'He further advised, "If you do not win the first match, the burden for the second match becomes too heavy, and pressure follows in a chain reaction from there, so winning the first match is extremely important. The Czech Republic is also fighting for second place in the group, so the conditions are similar. While skill is important, the key will be which team can better withstand the psychological pressure."

'He particularly emphasized that Korea's experience could be a powerful weapon by analyzing the composition of the Czech national team. Korea has qualified for the World Cup for 11 consecutive times, while the Czech Republic returns to the World Cup stage after 20 years. Committee Member Lee stated, "Korean players have extensive experience in major matches. In contrast, most of the Czech players are experiencing the World Cup for the first time. Since Korea has continuously appeared on the World Cup stage until recently, we expect that Korea will be able to dominate the opponent in terms of experience and ultimately secure victory."

'He then pointed to the matchup on the left flank as a tactical key point. Commenting on left wing-back Jens Castrof (Borussia Mönchengladbach), who showed good form in friendly matches, Committee Member Lee said, "Castrof demonstrated all the mobility, defensive ability, and attacking power required of a wing-back in a three-back system in the last two matches. His ability to confidently break through in one-on-one situations was excellent in both defensive and attacking scenarios."

'However, he also noted, "The Czech Republic also places a high emphasis on attacks through right wing-back Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim). Basically, if the Czech Republic starts their attack through Coufal, Castrof on the left will face him directly. Among the various key points of the Czech Republic match, the flank duel between these two players will be a very important factor in seizing the initiative."

'Regarding concerns about the organizational strength of the Je Gi-ha-neun (CEO) team, he said, "It is true that concerns exist. The Czech Republic used their best lineup in the final friendly match against Guatemala and completed their final checks, while Hong Myung-bo's team experimented with combinations. It is natural to worry about whether the chemistry will be good when they field their best lineup after a long time."

'He continued, "However, the national team likely made such choices in the friendly matches because they judged that it would not be a problem in showcasing their performance against the Czech Republic and had their own confidence. Since they have trained with various combinations in their respective positions so far, if those combinations are deployed as desired in the Czech Republic match, there should be no major difficulty in securing three points."

'Regarding the Czech Republic's strength in aerial play, he requested a detailed three-stage defensive countermeasure. Committee Member Lee stated, "The Czech Republic has a very threatening ability to control the air in corner kick and free kick situations. First, it is most important to minimize fouls to reduce the number of corner kick and free kick opportunities themselves. Second, during one-on-one aerial duels, you must interfere with the opponent by making physical contact beforehand to prevent them from heading the ball comfortably. Finally, a thorough three-stage preparation must be in place to securely handle rebound balls that emerge from that battle." He called for the concentration of the defensive line, including Kim Min-jae.

'Finally, he mentioned detailed factors such as the choice of football boots based on the forecasted rain on the day of the match and the condition of the local grass. Committee Member Lee said, "There is a possibility of heavy rain during the match as showers often fall between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., which is a significant variable environmentally. When I touched the training ground ground, it felt very hard. Players will use rubber-studded boots before the match. However, if it suddenly rains, the grass can easily be torn and become slippery, so both types of football boots must be prepared. We must thoroughly prepare for rain by even considering scenarios where players change boots during hydration breaks in the second half."

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*This content was translated by AI.