"Sorry to Korean fans" Moreno's first words after a 1-4 crushing defeat... "We won't insist on 4-4-2, we realized the tactical issues too late" [Sangam]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I would like to apologize to the fans first."

Roberto Moreno, the interim coach of the South Korea national football team, bowed his head after the heavy defeat against Uruguay. He acknowledged his own responsibility, stating that the tactics prepared for the first half did not work properly and that it took too long to identify the problems.

The South Korea national football team led by Coach Moreno suffered a 1-4 loss in the Hana Bank Invitational National Team Friendly Match against Uruguay held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 28th.

Although Moreno's team started off on a high note by decisively defeating Ecuador 3-0 on the 24th, they showed a completely different performance in their second match.

At the post-match press conference, Coach Moreno conveyed his apologies to the fans above all else.

He said, "First and foremost, I want to apologize to the fans," adding, "The stadium was filled with you, and there is no reason for the fans to accept this result. That is why I want to apologize."

He then added, "I would also like to congratulate Uruguay."

He did not hide his regret over the result.

Coach Moreno said, "The opponent did not take that many shots and did not have high possession, yet they scored four goals," noting, "We need to review what parts needed adjustment in the first half."

At the same time, he placed significance on the second-half performance.

He stated, "In the second half, the football we wanted to play appeared a bit more. If we look only at the second half, it was 1-1," and evaluated, "We actually had several chances and could have narrowed the score gap."

He continued, "We must keep working hard. Just because this result was not good does not mean everything was that bad," emphasizing, "Of course, this is not the result we wanted, and we hope such a result will not happen again in the future."

When asked about the reason for the significant difference in performance between the first and second halves, he pointed to tactical issues.

Coach Moreno explained, "We had a game management plan prepared for the first half, but as the match progressed, we discovered problems," adding, "Unfortunately, we realized this a bit late, and by then the score gap had already widened significantly."

He further said, "To help the players, we changed the lineup and game management style, judging that it could be helpful."

He also revealed the reason for making extensive player substitutions right at the start of the second half. 'Key defender' Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) was sent to the bench at this time as well.

He said, "We originally planned to make three substitutions, but one player felt discomfort in his leg and requested a substitution, so we had to make an additional change," and evaluated, "I believe the newly introduced players performed the roles we required well."

Coach Moreno also saw that there was an opportunity to change the flow of the game.

He said, "Of course, this is just speculation, but if we had taken advantage of one of the chances we created to make it 3-1, we could have gone up to 3-2 later, and perhaps even had a chance for a comeback."

He continued, "I myself have experienced coming back from being down 0-3 to win 4-3 during my coaching career," adding, "Especially showing such a performance for the fans was our goal and wish. But this time, it did not happen that way," expressing his regret.

He then said firmly, "Such days can happen in football. We will accept responsibility and strive to ensure this does not happen again."

Questions were also raised regarding Coach Moreno's emphasis on the 4-4-2 system since his appointment.

However, he drew a line stating that he does not insist on a specific formation.

He said, "I am not a coach who insists on a specific formation. Not at all," explaining, "It inevitably depends on the game situation and the opponent. We cannot always be in an advantageous position, and if the opponent is superior, changes are necessary."

He continued, "We do not strictly insist on the formation itself. However, our football philosophy is firm," emphasizing, "If we change everything every time a difficult situation arises, it could send a negative message to the players."

He also explained the biggest problem in the first half in detail.

Coach Moreno analyzed, "There was too much space behind us during the build-up process," stating, "We tried to lure the opponent out and then build up, but it did not work well, and the opponent pressed very effectively. That is why we faced difficulties when we lost possession."

In the second half, they increased the number of players in the midfield to compensate for this.

He said, "We corrected that part and added more central midfielders," explaining, "Since the opponent was ahead, there were also some aspects where we operated more defensively in the second half, but we still had scoring opportunities."

When asked about how to utilize 'the team's ace' Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), he emphasized that the overall structure of the team must be viewed before focusing on individuals.

Coach Moreno said, "We need to look at both individual players and the entire team together," stating, "When the game does not go well for the team as a whole, it is inevitable that not only specific players but all players will struggle to show the play we require."

He further explained, "If the team cannot draw out the press effectively and cannot advance the ball smoothly from the back, players themselves lack the time and space to showcase their strengths."

Nevertheless, he highly evaluated the attitude of the players.

Coach Moreno said, "I believe all players did their best. I did not see a single player who did not give their all until the end," adding, "This part must also be evaluated as important."

He continued, "We will review individual details and areas for improvement with the players this week. We will strive to ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated and that the players' strengths are better revealed."

Regarding Hwang In-beom, who was excluded from the lineup that day, he left open the possibility of his participation in the next match.

Coach Moreno stated, "We expect him to be able to play in the Venezuela match."

He also conveyed his intention to check as many different players as possible in the remaining two matches.

He said, "We currently have 28 players, and we want to give playing opportunities to all of them as much as possible," explaining, "Right now, it is a process for coaches and players to get to know each other. The actual match is the best stage to confirm how well the players understand and accept the tactical concepts we convey."

He added, "The newly given opportunities also showed good performances. We decided to call up these players to this Seon Su-deul-eul (CEO)team because we judged they were fully capable of playing in matches."

Coach Moreno said, "A national team coach has the obligation and responsibility to secure as much information as possible about the players," adding, "Only then can we select the most appropriate players when playing important matches other than friendly games."

Now, attention turns to the next match.

Coach Moreno said, "We will go through the same process as when we won the last match. We will look at what went well and what went wrong, not only for the players but also for myself."

He then emphasized, "The next Venezuela match is an opportunity to shake off today's bad energy," stating, "I want to make football fans happy. Although we could not do so this time, we will find solutions together with the players and strive to help them."

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*This content was translated by AI.