Three-back exposed with pros and cons, but still a card that you have to hold until the end

Jul 16, 2025

Three-back exposed with pros and cons, but still a card that you have to hold until the end
The final match of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup between South Korea and Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. Coach Hong Myung-bo is preparing for the game. Sangam = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.6.10/



Three-back exposed with pros and cons, but still a card that you have to hold until the end
The E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) match between South Korea and Japan at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 15th. Park Jin-seop is attempting a header from a corner kick. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.15/
The harvest and tasks of the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) in 2025 are all 'Three Bags'.

Hong Myung-bo, who is preparing for the 2026 North Korea-China World Cup, has set the East Asian Cup as a test stage. Hong fixed the tactics, experimenting with various players. The key was three-back. Coach Hong also used three-backs intermittently in the third Asian qualifying round for the North Korea-China World Cup. In the second game (3-1 wins) against Oman and the final game (4-0 wins) against Kuwait, he used a modified three-back that was easy to convert to four-back.

However, in this competition, he put forward a traditional three-back card with three center backs. Regardless of the opponent or the situation, the defensive form remained the same. Coach Hong was able to come up with customized tactics compared to the Korea-Japan match with the championship, but he checked the three-back with determination. Hong said, `Of course, the results are important, but I thought a sufficient review of the three-back was needed.'




There is a reason. Hong Myung-bo's plan A is four bags. It is a familiar example for existing members centered on European groups. A-match performance in the future is important for high port allocation right now, but it is not easy to test tactics prematurely. Hong also said, `We need a Plan B to compete on the world stage. We don't have time until September."

First of all, I checked the pros and cons of the three-back through this competition. As the number of central defenders has increased due to the use of three-backs, the sense of stability has increased. In the Korea-Japan match, they did not give any significant opportunities except for the loss scene. In particular, it was encouraging not to give up space against Japan, which has excellent targets for half-space. Coach Hong also said, `We have now played three games as a three-back. We also found players who showed strengths in each position, and our performance was good."

However, the build-up and attack support were disappointing. As the build-up form was fixed, he was helpless against the opponent's pressure. There were also several mistakes. In the event of an attack, the center back has to support, but the three remained in the back, showing inferiority in the number fight. The infinitely wide gap between front-line attacks and midfield and defensive lines is another area that needs to be improved. Coach Hong also acknowledged this problem.




Despite the advantages and disadvantages revealed, the three-back is a card we have to keep holding on to. In the World Cup finals, you have to face a team that is in the top position, so you need a defensive model. If you can reduce your shortcomings and maximize your strengths, the three-back is an unmissable option, which can also be Plan A.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.