'Munich Monster Class Explosion' Perfectly Proven by Kim Min-jae: "Playing in a back four was fun; Coach Moreno emphasized..." [Suwon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

The 'monster defender' of Bayern Munich fully displayed his class. Kim Min-jae (Bayern), with solid defense and bold forward movement, led the national team to a scoreless victory and helped propel Coach Moreno's squad off to a successful start.

On the 24th, the South Korean national football team decisively defeated Ecuador 3-0 in an invitation match hosted by Hana Bank at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

Starting as the central defender that day, Kim Min-jae shut down the opponent's attacks with his signature overwhelming physicality and man-marking defense. Not content to stay back, he also created threatening moments by breaking through the half-line with his characteristic aggressive dribbling at various points during the match.

After the game, in the mixed zone, Kim Min-jae calmly remarked, "It was our first match since the World Cup, and we ended it without conceding a goal while scoring several ourselves, so it was a good performance."

He expressed high satisfaction with the return of the back four system under the new head coach. Kim Min-jae said, "There were more spaces than I expected, which made it fun to play alongside Lee Han-beom by utilizing those open areas," and added, "Most players at my club also play in a back four, so I felt even more comfortable during the match."

Regarding moments where he boldly surged forward or delivered sharp advancing passes during the game, Kim Min-jae revealed that these actions were based on clear instructions from the coach. He explained, "Although our preparation period was extremely short, the coach specifically instructed center-backs to push forward whenever space opened up." He continued, "He particularly emphasized making many advancing passes as the first build-up option, and I tried to find spaces and deliver passes accordingly."

On the incident in the first half when his partner Lee Han-beom (Club Brugge) engaged in a tense confrontation with an opponent, Kim Min-jae offered reassuring advice. He stated, "I didn't see the situation in detail, but I believe defenders need some level of aggressiveness and fighting spirit." He added, "In my view, Korean players tend to be somewhat gentle, so given that the opponents played very aggressively, they handled it appropriately without receiving a red card."

Kim Min-jae also revealed tactical adjustments made at halftime after the first half ended 0-0. He said, "During the first half, our full-backs were positioned too deep, so we were instructed to play slightly more advanced in the second half." He further noted, "Cho Hyun-taek was likely feeling a bit awkward initially since he's playing with the existing squad for the first time, but as they get better in sync, I expect things to improve even more in the next match."

He also shared the behind-the-scenes story of how Son Heung-min's spectacular free-kick goal was set up. Kim Min-jae said, "I told Heung-min-hyung that taller players would move into the box to distract the goalkeeper, so he should 'give it a try.'" He added with a smile, "Honestly, I thought the angle was too narrow and the chances of scoring were low, but I didn't expect him to slot it in so perfectly. Hyung-min-hyung struck it so beautifully that I felt embarrassed."

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*This content was translated by AI.