Lost 0-2 to Jordan in the Asian Cup semifinals. Defensive line without Kim Min-jae is wide open. Shock loss despite having a world-class team. Coach Klinsmann goes up on the chopping block with no tactics.

Son Heung-min, captain of the Korean national soccer team, is sitting on the ground in disappointment after losing 0-2 in the Asian Cup semifinals against Jordan on the 7th and failing to advance to the finals. Son Heung-min tried his best to win the Asian Cup for the first time in 64 years, but failed to reach the top.

Korean soccer’s dream of winning the Asian Cup was thwarted as it suffered a ‘shock’ loss to Jordan. Heung-min Son, Kang-in Lee, Hee-chan Hwang, and Min-jae Kim, known as the ‘Fantastic Four’, were evaluated as the strongest forces of all time and attempted to become the top team for the first time in 64 years, but failed. In the tournament round, thanks to a dramatic equalizer at the end of the second half, they turned the tide and advanced to the next round, but it was only until the semifinals.

Korea lost 0-2 in the semifinals of the Asian Cup against Jordan held in Al Rayyan, Qatar on the 7th. Although they were far ahead in ball possession (69.6% to 30.4%), the number of shots (8) was less than half of Jordan (17). There were no effective shots. Jordan had 7 shots heading towards the inside of the goal, 2 of which hit the net.

Korea’s defeat against Jordan without scoring a single goal is even being accepted as a ‘shock loss‘ by foreign media. Although the two teams tied 2-2 in the group stage of this tournament, most soccer statistics media and betting sites predicted Korea’s victory. Korea was ahead with 3 wins and 3 draws. Korea is ranked 23rd in the FIFA rankings. Jordan ranks 87th, 64 places below. Until this tournament, Jordan’s best performance in the Asian Cup was the quarterfinals. The American sports media ‘Athletic’ said, “Korea suffered the humiliation of losing to Jordan. “Korea, which failed to show any notable tactics, played very poorly against Jordan, ranked 87th in the FIFA rankings,” he said.

Korean soccer’s defense was like a sand castle throughout this tournament. Jordan coach Hussein Amutah showed strong confidence ahead of the semifinals. He said, “Korea allowed 8 goals in 5 games until the quarterfinals. “There is a good chance of winning,” he said. As for Korea, their weakness was discovered even before the semifinals. Korea failed to keep a single clean sheet in the six games until the semifinals and gave up a total of 10 goals. It is more than double the 4 goals allowed in 11 games in 2015 and 2019 combined. It has been 28 years since Korea was eliminated in the quarterfinals in 1996 when it failed to leave a scoreless game at the Asian Cup.

The Korean national team has ‘world class’ center back Kim Min-jae, but the defensive line was like a sand castle in this tournament. Kim Min-jae’s individual defense was outstanding, but his cooperative defense such as cover play and line control was poor. In particular, the Korean defense was struggling in the semifinals where Kim Min-jae was unable to play due to accumulated warnings. If goalkeeper Jo Hyun-woo had not made a good save, the score difference would have been wider.

Korea missed both Musa Al-Tamari and Yazan Al-Naimat, who were considered the first and second targets of caution. Even after confirming the power of the two in the group stage match, we were unable to prepare properly. Altamari scored 1 goal and 1 assist, and Alnaimat scored 1 goal, leading the team to a complete victory in the semifinals. Alnaimat is a player who scored in the Korean goal in the group stage.

In Korea, even the tip of the spear was blunt. A total of 11 goals were scored in 6 games in this tournament, but only 5 field goals were scored. He scored three goals from penalty kicks and two from free kicks, with the other goal being an opposition own goal. There was not a single goal that could be said to have come from the strategy that Korean national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann envisioned in his head. Even before the opening of this tournament, Coach Klinsmann had been criticized for playing so-called ‘Do me soccer’. It is not clear what style of soccer will be played, and there are no specific tactics, but it is a soccer game that relies on the players’ individual skills. This did not change even after entering the Asian Cup.

Captain Son Heung-min, who was playing in his fourth Asian Cup appearance, looked gloomy after losing to Jordan and repeated the words “I’m so sorry” several times. Son Heung-min was interviewed on the ground after the game, and he kept his head down for a while and could not say anything. Son Heung-min, who found it difficult to speak, said, “(The people) gave us a lot of support, but I am sorry for not being able to show as good as expected.” Son Heung-min said “I’m so sorry” five times in an interview that lasted about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Players playing in the European league, including Son Heung-min, moved directly from Qatar to Europe on this day. Coach Klinsmann and domestic league players return home on the 8th. 19가이드03