Aiming for the Asian Cup. (3)
Good afternoon! This is the venue where the friendly A-match between South Korea and Costa Rica, and Costa Rica and South Korea, is taking place. Ah, Commissioner. Good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
Today's match is really exciting, isn't it? The debut match of the new Diena coach for the South Korean national team. Commissioner, what do you think?
I am also quite excited. Diena coach had to step down from the Barcelona manager position due to unfortunate circumstances, but in reality, Diena coach is a top-tier active coach. It is truly intriguing to see what synergy he will create with the South Korean national team, which reached the World Cup quarter-finals, and how he will connect with his favorite player Ryu Ha-neul.
And furthermore, Ryu Ji-hye, the former youth national team coach, has moved to the position of senior coach for the adult national team. Will that help as well?
Yes. Ryu Ji-hye coach showed great form while leading the youth national team, including winning the U-17 World Cup, and she employed the so-called 'tiki-taka' tactic centered around Ryu Ha-neul back then. It matches the style of Diena coach. In fact, I heard that Ryu Ji-hye coach wanted to continue leading the youth national team, but she made the decision for the sake of Korean football.
Wow, really? That sounds like something to look forward to. Costa Rica was eliminated after losing to Switzerland, whom we defeated, in the group stage of the World Cup.
But that doesn't mean we can ignore them. Costa Rica reached the quarter-finals in 2014, and after this World Cup, they have infused young blood into the squad by excluding the older players.
In contrast, Diena coach brought the entire World Cup roster to this friendly match?
Yes. Probably because he has just been appointed, he hasn't adapted to Korea yet. He mentioned that he will observe the players steadily while staying in Korea, so you can watch that process gradually.
Then, I will introduce the South Korean starting lineup. Goalkeeper: Kim Eun-hye, fullbacks from right to left: Park Hye-ri, Kang Yeon-ji, Choi Da-yoon, Kim Yu-jin, central midfielders: Han Ye-jin and Gang Hae-young, right winger: Jo Seo-won, left winger: Yoon Seo-hee, attacking midfielder: Ryu Ha-neul, striker: Kim Seul-gi.
Diena coach has come out with a 4-2-3-1. Probably influenced by Ryu Ha-neul playing as an attacking midfielder in his club since the end of last season. He selected Gang Hae-young, who has good passing ability, instead of Son Ju-hee who excels in defense, and Kim Yu-jin, who focuses more on defense rather than the attacking fullback Kim Min-seo.
……Then the match begins with South Korea in possession. Kim Seul-gi, to Ryu Ha-neul.
……
……
……
Goal! Goal! Goal! In the 88th minute of the second half, South Korea scores the opening goal against Costa Rica! Kim Seul-gi, who received Ryu Ha-neul's pass, finally scores!
Whoa, we had overwhelming possession throughout the match, and finally we score!
……Match ends! Diena's team brings a positive first match victory!
*
-South Korea! Overwhelming Costa Rica!
……South Korea scored the opening goal in the 88th minute against Costa Rica and the debut match under Diena coach ended in victory.
On this day, South Korea overwhelmed Costa Rica with a 68:32 possession ratio…….
After the Costa Rica match, the national team's atmosphere was quite good, with the members casually discussing things like:
"Clearly, Diena is different."
"This guy calls the coach by name... is the coach his friend?"
"Well, how is it?"
"This guy got the European mindset right after going to Spain. So, what about Spain?"
"Why? Did Yeon-ji noona also get to Spain?"
"I kind of feel like Spanish football suits me? Right now Spain, Germany, and Italy are all like that, getting in touch with a couple teams each."
The juniors were chatting casually enough for it to feel quite normal.
If the national team's atmosphere had been bad, the juniors like Kim Chae-ri or Kang Yeon-ji would have felt awkward talking, but since they were part of the 8th-place World Cup members, the 8th-place spirit was still strong, and they had won the first match after Diena's appointment, so the team's atmosphere was not bad.
Honestly, in my view, it was just back passes from the back and one pass of mine that scored, so the performance didn't look that impressive, but the players were satisfied thinking it was Spanish-style football.
"Well, I don't know either. Hey, Ha-neul! What do you think?"
"Yeon-ji senior, does it work anywhere? Good physique, good passing sense."
My words made Kang Yeon-ji, who was scheduled to leave for overseas after the end of this season's K League, smile faintly.
If I had been the one leading Korea's attack in the last World Cup, Kang Yeon-ji had been the one leading the defense, and in my view, she had shown a better performance than a decent central defender from any big league in the middle ranks.
And she could be considered the core of Diena coach's tactics. Why? Because we were currently almost revolving the ball from the back.
We had deployed Han Ye-jin and Gang Hae-young, midfielders with strength in passing, in the Costa Rica match, but since we hadn't perfectly adapted to Diena's tactics yet, even if I helped, we would have to send many back passes. Therefore, it was inevitable that Kang Yeon-ji, a center-back who could build up from the back, would rise to the core of the tactics.
A tiki-taka tactic with the line dropped. A tactic never heard of, but anyway, we were using this strange tactic.
'But, Diena's vision isn't bad.... Ha, I don't know. Judging too harshly from the first match is weird.'
I told myself I hadn't fully adapted to the tactics yet, but worrying was unavoidable.
"Haha, we showed good things in the Costa Rica match. We will continue like this..."
And in the post-match feedback, since Diena coach didn't bring up the issue of the line, that worry only grew.
'Ha.... this problem needs to be addressed.'
Since becoming this body, I had restrained from being arrogant as much as possible, but given the situation, I had no choice but to speak up. Well, it would be easier to ask my mother, but because of blood relation, it might seem like overstepping, so I was a bit reluctant to ask her.
-Knock knock.
"Coach, it's Ryu."
Of course, I couldn't point out the coach's tactics openly in front of the players, so I knocked on the office door during empty time.
"Oh! Ha-neul, welcome."
"Um, there is a question I felt from the Costa Rica match..."
"Haha, Ha-neul's question, I'll always answer. Thanks to you, I got this good job too."
"Ne...?"
"No, no. So, what is the question?"
"Um... I don't understand why lowering the line and using passing football. Lowering the line means pulling the opponent, so long passes to the back space would be more effective, but in this state, the space we need to build up is too wide, what do you think, coach?"
"Haha, of course. It's not easy."
When I said attack won't be smooth, Diena smiled confidently. Is there a way?
"But, we have to take the position of challenger on the world stage. So, defense must be solid."
"...Then, what about attack?"
"Ha-neul! What are you worried about? I believe in your potential. I believe in Ha-neul."
Damn.
In the moment of deciding whether to laugh at the fact that the coach recognized and believed in my ability or scold this reckless guy, Diena patted my shoulder.
"I believe. Ha-neul can become the world's best player! That's why I gave up the Barcelona coach position for you. Ha-neul, I believe in your ability. And you believe in me as a coach."
If I hadn't known Diena well, this speech would have moved me, but coming from Diena, it felt like a scam.
'Ha.... am I just wearing rose-colored glasses because of that incident? Other seniors seem satisfied with Diena...'
So the interview with Diena flowed without much gain,
-South Korea! 1:0 beating Chile!
……In the 72nd minute, Ryu Ha-neul dribbled past three players and scored a wonderful curling shot, and South Korea, leading thanks to Ryu Ha-neul's opening goal, held on to the lead till the end......
We were able to win the Chile match with a slightly weird performance, just like the Costa Rica match.
'Wow, public opinion is okay. Am I the only one feeling weird? Should I like it or be sad...'
Honestly, it felt like I scored with my personal skill, so worry about the national team's future continued, but winning two matches against Costa Rica and Chile, decent teams from Central and South America, made my head even more confused.
'Ha, damn. I don't know. For now, let's believe and follow till the Asian Cup.'