Jürgen Klinsmann’s A team finished the first half of their friendly against Peru 0-1 at the Busan Asiad main stadium on Saturday. Looking for their first win, Klinsmann’s men were dragged around by Peru’s organisation and failed to create any significant chances. The tactic of attacking didn’t work.
The game against Peru was the second test for Klinsmann, who made his debut in March in an A match. The latter was filled with players from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they reached the round of 16 for the first time in 12 years. Klinsmann had just taken over, so there was no time to waste. Despite the addition of a more straightforward style of football, there was little change from the previous manager, Paulo Bento, so the June A match was seen as a chance to see Klinsmann’s true colours.
But change was inevitable. The nucleus of the attack was missing: ‘Captain’ Son Heung-min (Tottenham) was sidelined with a sports hernia and ‘Monster’ Kim Min-jae (Napoli) was ruled out early due to military training. In addition, Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Moon-hwan (Jeonbuk Hyundai) and Jung Woo-young (Al Sadd), who had been the backbone of the team, were out with injuries. Plan B was inevitable. Coach Klinsmann, who named nine new faces to the squad, also made changes.
It was a bigger change than I expected. We switched from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2. The goal remained the same. Instead of Son Heung-min, Kim Seung-kyu (Al Shabab) wore the captain’s armband. The defence was a combination we hadn’t seen before: Lee Ki-je (Suwon Samsung), Jeong Seung-hyun (Ulsan), Park Ji-soo (Portimonense), and Ahn Hyun-beom (Jeju United). Except for Lee, the other three were making their first appearance at Lake Klinsmann. Ahn Hyun-beom was making his A-match debut. In the midfield, Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Olympiacos), Won Doo-jae (Gimcheon Commerce) and Lee Kang-in (Mallorca) stood. The two up top were Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) and Oh Hyun-gyu (Celtic). It was Hwang’s first appearance in the Klinsmann Cup and Oh’s first start in an A-match.
The aim was clear. A key part of Klinsmann’s tactics in the A-Match in March was the ‘central hand’. He played Son Heung-min in the centre rather than on the left. It’s a tactic that his predecessor, Paulo Bento, also used, but in a different way. Where Bento used Son as a midfielder, Klinsmann used him as a striker. To maximise Son’s potential, the frontman would move wide to create space. With the best possible support, Son was one of the brightest stars of the March A-League, but his departure forced Klinsmann to change his attacking tactics.
Klinsmann’s solution was to use the flanks. With two attacking full-backs, Lee Ki-je and Ahn Hyun-beom, up front, the team needed to utilise the flanks. The choice was based on the fact that the left wingers Lee Jae-sung and Lee Kang-in were more centrally orientated. 먹튀검증
However, it didn’t quite work. The opposition’s solid defence prevented Lee and Ahn from getting forward properly. Instead, the defence was overwhelmed. Won Doo-jae’s positioning was poor, and Hwang In-beom’s possession of the ball dropped significantly. The team relied on Lee Jae-sung and Lee Kang-in to play one-on-one. At the top, Hwang Hee-chan was active and looked to create chances, but Oh Hyun-kyu missed a number of chances.
Peru played well. In the early stages, South Korea dominated possession. In the fifth minute, Ahn Hyun-beom broke through on the right, and Guerrero caught the loose ball. He tried a right-footed curling kick. Kim Seung-gyu made a great save. From the ensuing corner kick, Guerrero tried to shoot again, but it went wide. Eventually, the lead was conceded. In the 10th minute, Reina rattled the Korean goal with a powerful right-footed shot from a Guerrero pass.
South Korea fought back. In the 13th minute, Lee Kang-in drove into the centre of the box off a pass from Hwang In-beom and fired a left-footed shot. It was defended. In the 14th minute, Lee Ki-jae sent in a cross from the left. Oh Hyun-gyu penetrated and tried a sliding shot. He missed. Peru had another good chance. In the 18th minute, Cross Guerrero’s cutback from the right went into the side netting.
South Korea raised the tempo again. In the 24th minute, Hwang Hee-chan broke through after a heeled pass from Lee Jae-sung. His right-footed shot was defended and saved by the keeper. In the 27th minute, Lee Kang-in’s genius shone through. He delivered a brilliant left-footed through ball from the right. Oh Hyun-gyu had a chance to take on the keeper. But his shot went wide. In the 33rd minute, Lee Kang-in’s left foot flashed. After receiving a pass from Hwang Hee-chan, Lee moved from the right to the centre and attempted a left-footed curling kick. The goalkeeper made the save, and Lee’s cross was deflected behind. Jung Seung-hyun’s shot was deflected away.
Peru focused on their defence and went on the counterattack. They threatened from a set-piece in the 42nd minute. Korea pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but were unable to create much of a chance. Just before half-time, Lee Kang-in attempted a free kick, but it hit the wall. Lee Kang-in’s corner kick was headed in by Jung Seung-hyun, but it went wide, and the first half ended with the score at 0-1.