"A Tragedy Born from Misunderstanding 'One Win as a Sacrifice'": Song Jong-kuk on the Complete Defeat Against South Africa: "Passing Game Disappeared... Why No Tactical Change While Losing?" [★World Cup Insight by Song Jong-kuk ④]

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korea crumbled after suffering a painful blow against South Africa in the third group stage match of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup. Typically, by the third group stage match, teams should have synchronized their previously disjointed elements and delivered their most complete performance. However, today's match was the worst, with the entire balance collapsing from the defensive line to the midfield and the attacking unit.

Blaming environmental factors such as the heat or the condition of the turf is merely an excuse. Players at the level of competing on the grand stage of the World Cup should not require more than 15 minutes to adapt to the ground.

The primary cause of this crushing defeat is that the "passing game" was completely absent. For a smooth passing sequence, the receiving player must move organically first. However, today, South Korea consistently had the passing player move first, while the receiving player's reaction was delayed, causing the attack flow to break repeatedly without connecting through the second or third passes.

With build-up play toward the front blocked, the front line was also isolated. The bench's decision to substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu for Son Heung-min in the first half, anticipating a packed defense, was understandable. However, with passing errors pouring out from Baek Seung-ho and Hwang In-beom, and even the defensive line, Oh Hyeon-gyu never even had a chance to properly control the ball.

The absence of Lee Jae-sung, who served as the lubricant for the attack, was also painful. Hwang Hee-chan, who was supposed to break through on the flanks, was pushed back by the opponent's strong marking and adopted a defensive tendency of dribbling toward our own side. Consequently, the attack development became even slower.

South Africa, which absolutely needed a win, seemed to know our tactics and started by dropping their line deep and playing thorough defensive football. To control Lee Kang-in's sharp left foot and the speed of Hwang Hee-chan and Oh Hyeon-gyu, they deployed a powerful cooperative defense where two or three players simultaneously surrounded the attackers, and this proved effective. Trapped by the opponent's pressing defense from the flanks, we failed to create any space to penetrate throughout both halves.

Our defensive organization was a failing grade. We allowed no fewer than 10 shots in the first half alone. The basic principle of defense is to immediately narrow the angle and engage strongly from the front or flanks when the opponent attempts a fast counterattack. However, our defenders only kept retreating endlessly toward the penalty box against South African attackers. As the pressure loosened, we had no choice but to give the opponent wide space and shooting opportunities.

South Korea has historically performed poorly against teams considered "one win as a sacrifice" in the World Cup. The mental aspect is also significant. If approached lightly, sloppy play ensues. For instance, when pressure comes, players should safely pass outward, but instead, they forced passes inward, leading to countless absurd passing errors that were cut off. Since mistakes occurred in our own half rather than the opponent's, there was no way to seize the initiative.

Coach Hong Myung-bo's bench response while losing was also disappointing. If a goal was urgently needed after the 35th minute of the second half, they should have switched from a three-back to a four-back formation to reduce defensive numbers and increase attacking players, or utilized target strikers like Cho Gue-sung to instruct more direct attacking play. However, they persisted with the existing tactical formation until the final whistle.

Even amidst defeat, if the national team manages to reach the Round of 32, the task to be fixed immediately is clear. The most urgent issue is to narrow the gap between the collapsed defense and midfield and to re-establish overall team balance.

Furthermore, confidence must be injected into the hesitant passing game. With a passive attitude of fearing losing the ball even when attempting a single pass, it is impossible to overcome the strong teams in the tournament. Monotonous football relying on individual player skills will not work. The team must regain its lost organizational power by refining the organic coordination among players.

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*This content was translated by AI.