"A goalkeeper as MVP?" Song Bum-keun's 4 saves → Highest rating for a Korean player at 7.9... The "bitter side" of Moreno's squad in a 0-0 lackluster draw

*This content was translated by AI.

Amid a frustrating draw, goalkeeper Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Hyundai) shone. He received the highest rating among Korean players, asserting his presence in the competition for the next national team's starting goalkeeper position.

However, the fact that a goalkeeper was evaluated as the Man of the Match (MVP) also served as a bitter reflection of Moreno's squad's stifling performance.

The South Korea men's national football team, led by manager Roberto Moreno, drew 0-0 against Venezuela in the third match of the four-match Hana Bank Invitational National Team Friendly Series for September and October, held on the 2nd at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium.

South Korea started off well by defeating Ecuador 3-0 on the 24th of last month, but suffered a crushing 1-4 defeat to Uruguay on the 28th. In the match against Venezuela, where a turnaround in momentum was needed, they ultimately failed to score, failing to secure a win for the second consecutive game.

At least, Song Bum-keun was a definite gain.

Song Bum-keun, who started as the goalkeeper, played the full match and completed a scoreless game. He had rarely secured a starting opportunity with the national team, often overshadowed by veteran goalkeepers such as Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) and Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan HD), but he donned the starting gloves on this rare occasion to prove his worth.

Song Bum-keun recorded a total of four saves in the match against Venezuela. Among these, he stopped two shots from within the penalty box.

In the 15th minute of the second half, Song Bum-keun threw his body to block a header from Venezuelan attacker Jesus Ramirez. In the 27th minute of the second half, he also parried a dangerous long-range shot by Theo Quintero, guarding South Korea's goal.

Football statistics media FootMob awarded Song Bum-keun a rating of 7.9. It was the highest rating among all players from both teams, including the South Korean squad.

Among South Korean field players, Cho Yu-min (Ulsan HD) received the highest evaluation at 7.5, followed by Hwang In-beom (FC Porto) with 7.4.

As the competition for a goalkeeper to succeed Kim Seung-gyu and Cho Hyun-woo, who have long guarded the national team's goal, continues, it was undoubtedly a meaningful match for Song Bum-keun. He laid the groundwork to move beyond his previous status as the third option and fully enter the race for the starting position.

He is also continuing consistent performances with his club team.

This season, Song Bum-keun appeared in 29 K League 1 matches for Jeonbuk, conceding 26 goals and recording 13 clean sheets. Including the Super Cup, he has conceded 26 goals in 30 official matches and kept 14 scoreless games.

Following his stable performances with his club team, he proved his competitiveness by producing a scoreless result and the highest rating with the A national team as well.

Looking at the Ha Ji-man (CEO) team as a whole, it was not all smiles.

South Korea recorded fewer shots than Venezuela despite playing at home. South Korea had 7 total shots, while Venezuela had 12. In terms of shots on target, South Korea managed only 3, whereas Venezuela recorded 4.

Rather, situations arose where Song Bum-keun had to prevent multiple goals.

In particular, the attacking play struggled to break through in the first half. South Korea showed a stifling flow, recording their first shot only when the 45th minutes of the first half were up.

Ultimately, they failed to score a single goal against Venezuela at home.

Song Bum-keun receiving the highest rating is certainly a welcome result personally. However, the fact that the goalkeeper stood out more than the attacking line is a bitter aspect regarding the overall performance of the national team.

Defensive instability continues. South Korea allowed as many as 4 goals in the previous match against Uruguay, suffering a crushing 1-4 defeat. Without Song Bum-keun's performance, the match against Venezuela could have been a difficult one as well.

Frustration also erupted from within the national team.

Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) said after the match, "It was a match where a turnaround was needed, but it is regrettable that we could not bring about a result," adding, "Many aspects need to be improved."

He continued, "As a team, we all need to fight together, compete, and defend, but it is not going well," emphasizing the need to play as one team.

Moreno's squad will play their final match of the four-match series against Uzbekistan at 8 p.m. on the 6th at Yongin Mireu Stadium. It is an opportunity to aim for a turnaround in momentum.

However, the fact that the highest-rated player in the match against Venezuela was a goalkeeper is also a point that must be reflected upon before the match against Uzbekistan.

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*This content was translated by AI.