"Son Heung-min will make a difference in the Mexico match, and here's why"... 'Octopus commentary' Lee Young-pyo nano analysis → 'Strong conviction' [★World Cup]

*This content was translated by AI.

Ahead of the Group A second match against Mexico, Lee Young-pyo, a legend of South Korean football, visited the KBS commentary team's training ground to encourage his juniors and precisely predict the flow of the match.

On the 17th (local time), Lee Young-pyo met with reporters at the Chivas Verde Valle training ground in Guadalajara, Mexico, and predicted, "Mexico is also quite wary of South Korea, and since this is South Korea's first match against the host nation, both teams will likely start the game very cautiously."

Lee Young-pyo, renowned for his 'octopus commentary,' particularly noted, "South Korea will not attempt many attacks clumsily. Mexico will also be extremely wary of forcing attacks from the early stages and leaving space behind." He forecasted that the first half would be characterized by a very tight and cautious flow throughout.

Regarding variables that could change the flow of the match, he pointed to second-half substitution cards and concentration levels. Lee Young-pyo stated, "As tactical changes occur in the second half and both teams reveal their offensive tendencies, the key will be which team plays more precisely and makes fewer mistakes in defensive organization." He added, "The concentration to convert opportunities into actual goals and small differences, such as a single minor foul, will have a significant impact on the match result."

On the situation where Mexico's defensive core, Cesar Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow), is absent due to suspension, he noted it could be a definite boost for South Korea. Lee Young-pyo said, "Montes is the only field player among defenders standing over 190cm. With his absence, Mexico's ability to dominate aerial balls will inevitably weaken relatively." He suggested a strategy: "If South Korea faces set pieces, free kicks, or corner kicks, they can create quite effective and threatening scenes."

He further added, "This is an opportunity for South Korea to turn the difficulty they faced in aerial ball handling during the previous match against Czech Republic into an advantage."

Regarding the one-sided home advantage of the host nation, he expressed trust in the players' extensive experience. Lee Young-pyo said, "It is clear that the one-sided support from home crowds gives Mexico a significant advantage." However, he added, "The South Korean national team has many players who have already experienced one-sided away booing and enthusiastic atmospheres while playing in Europe. This factor will not significantly negatively affect the players' ability to showcase their skills," expressing his confidence.

He also agreed with Park Ji-sung's earlier prediction that "Son Heung-min (LAFC) will make a difference." Lee Young-pyo praised, "In the first match against Czech Republic, 40% of South Korea's shooting opportunities came from Son Heung-min. His peak speed even reached 35 km/h." He continued, "Among the 30th-something players from participating nations in this tournament, he is undoubtedly showing overwhelming physicality and experience. Therefore, he is the most likely candidate to seize decisive opportunities and score in the match against Mexico."

He also did not forget to issue a warning about the opposing team's key attackers that the defense must guard. Lee Young-pyo identified Mexico's right-sided attacker Julian Quiñones (Al-Qadsiah) as the top priority for caution, stating, "He has excellent speed and dribbling skills, and his shooting accuracy when cutting in from the right is incredibly high. As proven by his formidable goal-scoring ability in the Saudi league and during his time at Club America, he is a player who can score in every match, so he must be thoroughly contained."

As a second priority, he pointed to the forward Raul Jimenez (Fulham), evaluating him as "a tall player with excellent ball retention skills and an exceptional sense for spotting scoring opportunities from any position."

Lee Young-pyo remarked, "If Quiñones is the type who breaks through with individual skills, Jimenez is the type who finishes with the help of teammates." He added, "If our defense can contain these two players, they will be able to control a significant portion of the opponent's powerful attack."

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*This content was translated by AI.