Coach Hong Myung-bo, who is drawing the future after his first loss, is disappointing, but he did better than Japan→ I'm sorry to the fans, but I saw hope (Full Story)
Jul 15, 2025
|
|
|
South Korea lost to archrival Japan 0-1 in the final match of the 2025 East Asian Football Confederation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) held at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the 15th. Japan, which recorded all three wins (nine points), won the title, and Hong Myung-bo, who remained in second place with two wins and one loss (six points).
South Korea, which boasts the most five-time championships, won three consecutive games in 2015, 2017, and 2019. He dreamed of reclaiming the top spot for the first time in six years, but it went up in smoke. Japan, which won its first summit in 2013, rose to the East Asian throne again following the previous 2022 tournament. He has won two consecutive 連覇.
What's more painful is the humiliation of Japan, which had three consecutive losses (連敗) for the first time since its first showdown in 1954. South Korean soccer suffered a crushing 0-3 defeat on March 25, 2021 (Friendly Game) and July 27, 2022 (East Asian Cup), respectively, under Paulo Bento. Even in 2025, he was unable to escape the defeat.
|
And "Japan has the same system. Even if a new player comes in, there is a manual. We played just three games as a three-back. I'm sorry that I didn't get the results today, and I'm sorry to the fans, but I saw hope for our players."
|
-The general evaluation of the game is.
▶Our players did well enough today as prepared. Of course, the result and the scene of the loss were disappointing, but other than that, they showed enough good performance. It wasn't a long time, but the players showed great posture in this call-up. I thought the result was important before the tournament, but a full review of the three-back was needed. The pros and cons are out, and supplementation is needed.
-I ask for the settlement of this competition. The income earned is.
▶I have a definite plan A. We need a Plan B to compete on the world stage. I don't have time until September, and I prepared with domestic players in this competition, but I saw competitive players in it. Some players showed advantages according to the needs of each position. Overall, there were times when the midfield and defense space were wide open, but they did not give the opponent an important chance, but they needed improvement. A compact operation is needed. The opponent did a similar tactic to ours. Still, he showed good performance.
-When I looked at the players' play, I could see that they were pushed by the ball guard's ability, pass accuracy, and physical fight. Is your skills getting better with the Japanese players.
▶To be honest, I was also in Japan for a long time. There is a lot of comparative analysis between the two countries' soccer, but the education is different from an early age. I don't think that can be helped. However, the way they won in the past is that Japan has been consistent since 1990, regardless of the victory or defeat of the game. However, there were times when we had a dangerous situation or if we won even once, we were satisfied with the result. Our players are also making a lot of effort and growing in terms of individual skills. These parts of physical struggle may vary from person to person, but they are not behind in that part. I don't think I'm lacking mentally today either. Not only the national team problem, but also Korean soccer as a whole requires a lot of effort. Win, lose and it's not that problem. You have to work on those issues a lot.
-Is there any player you've noticed in this competition.
▶Some players are competitive. There will be another evaluation after today's game, but there are as many as five people. There are players who are needed depending on the tactical situation. There are a few players who have shown competitiveness in the three-backs tested. I expect that if I continue to do well, I will be able to go to the World Cup finals.
-What is Japan's performance today. Is there a player that stands out.
▶Overall, I think our players did better today when looking at both teams. Japan failed to demonstrate its advantages. We were ahead in all figures, including shooting and ball possession. It didn't bother our defense other than a few scenes. It didn't cause much difficulty to our team. There was a scene where he lost his concentration and lost a point. Japan has always had the same system. Even if a new player comes in, there is a manual. We played just three games as a three-back. It's a shame that I didn't get the results today and I'm sorry for the fans, but I saw hope for our players.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
