Japanese fans watching Park Ji-sung's sharp critique sighed in unison... "It's like watching the old Japanese national team," "Next World Cup is also at risk"

*This content was translated by AI.

Japan also showed great interest in the criticism made by Park Ji-sung (45), a JTBC commentator.

On the 25th, Japan's "Football Channel" reported, "Korean legend Park Ji-sung delivered a strict critique of his team's performance."

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, lost 0-1 to South Africa in the final Group A match of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup qualifiers, held at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

With one win and two losses (3 points), South Korea fell to third place in the group, eliminating their chance of direct qualification for the round of 32. In this tournament, the eight best-performing third-place teams advance to the knockout stage. Consequently, South Korea now has to wait for the results of other teams.

The media pointed out, "South Korea could have reached the round of 32 with just a draw. However, this defeat dropped them to third place in the group, squandering their chance of self-qualification."

It further reported, "Park Ji-sung, who served as the broadcast commentator, criticized the national team's attacking tactics. He also criticized their complacent response after conceding a goal."

Shortly after the match, Park Ji-sung commented, "We need to reconsider whether this was truly a game played with the intention to win. It was not clear what kind of attack they intended to execute."

He continued, "I feel that the tactics were the same in all three group stage matches. They seem to be focusing on defense while attacking, but I couldn't see how they planned to attack until reaching the goal area, nor what they would do once there. The fact that this was the case across all three matches is the problem."

During the match, Park Ji-sung remarked, "We are in a situation where we must play offensively, yet they are proceeding with the same number of defenders. More players need to join the attack. Whether we are down 0-1 or 0-2, the standings won't change. We must take risks," expressing his frustration.

Japanese netizens who read the article also reacted coldly toward the South Korean national team. Some expressed sympathy. Netizen A stated, "South Korea only plays football that relies on a few star players," and added, "Japan's goal is to compete in world-class leagues to play on the global stage, so young players strive to grow in overseas clubs. This is reflected in the number of players in Europe."

Netizen B said, "Now there is a world of difference between Japan and South Korea. If this is not acknowledged, even qualification for the next World Cup could be in jeopardy."

Netizen C, commenting on South Korea's performance, sharply noted, "It's like watching the old Japanese national team in terms of game management."

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*This content was translated by AI.