Lee Kang-in (22) of Paris Saint-Germain couldn’t contain his emotions for the moment. It could be a war of nerves, but it is a reaction that could come out well because it hit the face. However, Middle Eastern teams are playing for one of the best teams in Europe and will constantly keep in check the next generation of ace players.
The Korea Football Association announced the issue regarding Lee Kang-in’s exit on the 7th (Korea time). According to the association, Lee Kang-in received the first warning in the 24th minute of the second half and received the second warning in the 41st minute and was sent off accumulated warnings. There was no disciplinary action related to the exit, so it was not linked to his participation in the Asian Cup.
The South Korean national team, led by Jürgen Klinsmann, played an exhibition match against Iraq at the New York University Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on the 6th. They chose Iraq, the team that advanced to the finals, as the final rehearsal for the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, which will be held from the 12th.
Klinsmann has been preparing squads for Asian Cup since June, except for two A-match warm-up matches in March, in which he celebrates round of 16 at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in front of his home fans. Although he has often selected young players who moved to Europe, there has been no change in the overall structure of the team.
It was the same in the final list. They only added Kim Ji-soo (Brentford), Kim Joo-sung (FC Seoul), and Yang Hyun-joon (Celtic FC) to the squad they had been strengthening since June. Although there was a prospect that the absence of Hwang Ui-jo, who was tentatively excluded from the national team for two consecutive seasons due to illegal filming, would be filled by the top scorer Joo Min-kyu (Ulsan HD) in the K-League, instead of picking one more striker, they recruited a player who had been operating within the squad pool until now.
The Korean national team gathered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Jan. 2 for off-season training for the Asian Cup. Lee Kang-in joined the team after the French Super Cup and became a whole team on the 5th. Although players who played in Europe played in the season or joined the team after the winter break, the prevailing expectation was that they would operate Plan A in the match against Iraq.
In the match against Iraq, Klinsmann deployed “Plan B” instead of “Plan A.” After placing key players Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan, Kim Min-jae, Cho Kyu-sung and Lee Kang-in on the bench, he formed the starting lineup with Oh Hyun-kyu, Jung Woo-young and Kim Young-kwon. Given that he is looking to win the title for the first time in 64 years, he was able to understand the “Plan B” inspection given the variables in the tournament.
The Plan B combination was not perfect because they did not synchronize with each other for a long time. There were moments when Iraq almost allowed a goal from the beginning. Had it not been for goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu’s animal defense, the kickoff whistle would sound and the net could have been allowed in just three minutes.
However, time passed and gradually dominated the game because he was ahead in objective power. After the search war, side resources such as Jung Woo-young and Seol Young-woo shook Iraq. Jung Woo-young turned his head and aimed at the Iraqi net, and it was in front of the goalkeeper.
Moving aggressively from the front, Oh looked for a chance. Then, he shook the net at the 29th minute in the first half to score his A-match debut goal. However, the referee canceled the goal when he declared a foul before shooting Oh. There was nothing unusual about the scene, but there was no way to confirm it as it was an official match without a VAR.
It was impressive that Oh Hyun-kyu fell behind the Iraqi defense and fired a threatening shot, but even if he dominated the game, he did not create a significant opportunity. As soon as he continued his frustrating attack pattern, veteran midfielder Lee Jae-sung’s left foot shone. In the 40th minute of the first half, he shook the net with a fierce no-turn shot, giving South Korea the first goal.
Coach Klinsmann activated Plan A in the second half. Son Heung-min, Cho Kyu-sung, Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, and Lee Kang-in, who were waiting on the bench, took off their training clothes and changed into field uniforms. With solid front and rear, South Korea shook Iraq more fiercely and aimed at the net.
Of course, Iraq also attempted a counter attack by hitting quickly if it caught the ball. As Korea took the lead in the game and pressured Iraq, it was an attempt to hit the space behind it. If there was an empty space at Korea’s waist, he put in a through pass without hesitation and tried to face the goalkeeper one-on-one as much as possible. However, he was blocked by Kim Min-jae, who plays for Bayern Munich, and failed to launch an effective attack.
Son Heung-min led the Korean attack by playing a free role. Lee Kang-in delivered the ball to the front line strikers by mixing his unique body painting on the right side. Around 20 minutes into the second half, Son Heung-min dug into the box and snatched the ball that was about to fall to the end of the line. After that, he tried to shoot from an angle, but he tripped over the goalkeeper’s hand.
It was a scene where a penalty kick could have been awarded if the goalie foul was recognized. However, the referee did not declare a penalty kick again this time. In other words, a suspicious decision was declared in the second half following the first half.
The mood was focused on the Korean side. Korea lost concentration and allowed counterattacks to Iraq, but quickly formed a defensive formation to block the path for shooting. If Korea scores an additional goal, the game will conclude neatly.
In the 40th minute of the second half, an unexpected variable occurred in Korea. Lee Kang-in ran to catch the ball falling into the right side, and the Iraqi defense stuck. The Iraqi defense surrounded itself and blocked Lee Kang-in, which later led to a war of nerves. The excited Iraqi defense was angry, hitting Lee Kang-in in the face with his arm. Lee Kang-in also responded to the opponent without being intimidated, becoming a physical fight.
It happened when the assistant referee saw it right in front of him. The referee gave yellow cards to the two players, and Lee Kang-in was sent off due to accumulation of warnings. Korea was outnumbered and played until extra time in the second half, maintaining a one-goal lead until the end, ending the final mock test at the Asian Cup with a 1-0 victory in seven consecutive games (six consecutive wins). 헤라카지노주소
Video reading systems (VAR) and semi-automatic offside used in the Qatar World Cup will be used in the Asian Cup finals. More sophisticated decisions can occur in an environment such as the World Cup, but Middle East team variables exist anytime, anywhere.
This could happen on the stage of the Asian Cup finals. If a player’s mood swings due to a dubious decision and unexpected accumulation of warnings or dismissals, he will face a major setback in his championship race for the first time in 64 years. I hope the decision and exit against Iraq will be a shot both for Lee Kang-in and for the Korean national team.