FIFA World Cup 2022: Korea Republic Team Analysis

Korea lost only one game in qualifying and finished second in their group. Son Heung-min tied for the Asian qualification lead with four goals, and no club allowed fewer than Korea’s three. But the competition in Qatar will be far more challenging than qualifying, and the Koreans will know it with Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suárez in their group.

Since taking over Korea following the 2018 World Cup, Paulo Bento has a 63.5% winning record with the Taegeuk Warriors. His conservative attitude has irked some critics, but after a World Cup cycle, Bento will know what he needs from a close-knit group. (Fun fact: he coached Portugal at the 2014 World Cup, which included a game against Ghana.)

Korea drew with Costa Rica in its last international window and beat Cameroon 1–0. They were beaten 5–1 by Brazil in the summer friendly, but recent wins over Iran, Egypt, and Chile offer it optimism. This group won’t have enough hope, especially with Son’s shattered eye socket from the Champions League. He’ll be in Qatar, but his efficacy is doubtful for a team with little room for error.

Korea Republic’s Group H Matches:

Date	Team	Time	Stadium
24 November	Korea Republic vs. Uruguay	16:00(Local Time)	Education city stadium
28 November	Korea Republic vs. Ghana	16:00(Local Time)	Education city stadium
2 December	Korea Republic vs. Portugal	18:00(Local Time)	Education city stadium

The strategy and methods of Paulo Bento:

At the 2002 World Cup, Joao Pinto and Beto were sent off, and Park Jisung scored a goal, which helped the co-hosts move on to the round of 16. Paulo Bento, a player on that losing Portuguese team, is now the coach of the Taegeuk Warriors.

He is the national team’s head coach who has been in charge the longest. In 2002, Bento’s last game for Portugal was against the team he now leads. In Qatar, he’ll play Portugal on the group stage. Despite the pressure, Bento still hopes to guide his team to the knockout phase.

Three years ago, the coach’s tactics and philosophy were criticized when Korean Republic lost 1-0 to Qatar in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup quarterfinals. Critics said he only chose his favorites and needed more variety after six months. They also questioned how he didn’t give up. The team’s 3-0 loss to Japan in 2021 friendly angered supporters and the media.

Once AFC Qatar qualifying began, the team’s luck improved. On matchday 9, they beat archrival IR Iran for the first time in 11 years. Taegeuk Warriors got to Qatar after finishing second in Group A. In July, his K-League-heavy team lost 3-0 to Japan in the EAFF E-1 Football Championship (previously the East Asian Football Championship). Now Bento must boost morale to help his team in Qatar.

Bento prefers a holding midfielder who can build from the back to allow full backs to forward. Up front, attacking midfielders link the flanks and center to the final third. Forwards must run hard and displace defenders. In AFC qualifying, the coach’s asymmetric strategy helped the squad dominate possession. Will the same techniques succeed against the world’s greatest teams in Qatar?

Match Winning Player: Son Heungmin

The Spurs forward is South Korea’s biggest star and one of the tournament’s top attractions. Still, his full effectiveness will depend on his recovery from the injury he sustained against Marseille. Son’s two goals at the 2018 World Cup, including an emotional game-winner in the 96th minute against Germany, catapulted him into the world stage. Son has scored 89 goals for Spurs since then, including a career-high 23 league goals last season, good enough to tie Mohamed Salah for the Premier League Golden Boot. There will be a lot of pressure on the 30-year-old star to perform in Qatar, but he may be unable to recuperate until next season fully.

A Rising Star in the Field: Jeong Wooyeong

At seventeen, Jeong was snatched up by Bayern Munich from South Korea, where he would become a star for the club’s reserve team the following season. He transferred to Freiburg in 2019, but Bayern still can acquire him back. Now 23, he has progressively established himself as a critical cog in the Bundesliga club’s attack, scoring ten goals in 2 seasons and a half. Bento will want to use Jeong’s speed and playmaking skills to set up opportunities for South Korea by pairing him with Son in the attack.

World Cup History:

In 1954, Korea Republic was the first independent Asian country to compete in the World Cup. However, Korea Republic’s World Cup tale will always be tied to their semi-final performance in 2002 as co-hosts with Japan. Before it, the Red Devils had never gotten past the group stage. That tournament made the peninsula a football-mad nation and set the benchmark for future World Cups.

Since then, they have yet to meet those expectations, but a run to the round of 16 at South Africa 2010 was commendable, considering they beat Argentina, Nigeria, and Greece. Qatar 2022 will be its 11th and 10th straight World Cup.

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