Attacking football is about passing, now it’s about decisiveness and stabilizing the defense.
Byun Sung-hwan, the head coach of South Korea’s U-17 national team, touted “attacking soccer” ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023. “We’re going to play an aggressive game with the concept we’ve been working on,” Byun said, and South Korea pounded the Americans relentlessly.
In particular, the left and right wingers were devastating. In the first match against the United States, Byun deployed Yang Min-hyuk and Yoon Do-young on the left and right sides. Yoon was able to penetrate the U.S. backline with precision, while Yang created several chances with his dribbling and breakaway pressure. He also chilled the U.S. backline with his passing play with Kim Myung-joon in the center, breaking down the defense.
The numbers speak for themselves. South Korea had 23 shots on goal. More than twice as many as the U.S. (9). However, they had the same number of shots on goal, seven. Of those shots, the U.S. converted three, while South Korea had just one. While the U.S. was unlucky to hit the post twice, its goal-scoring prowess is something to build on.
They also need to work on their defense. They failed to properly mark the U.S. on the breakdown and conceded goals due to mistakes in clearing. In the second half, the team was also drained of energy. “We conceded a lot of goals because we played risky soccer, but we don’t regret it,” Byun said after the game, adding, “We will prepare for the remaining games to maintain our style and play a winning game.”
Nowhere to turn. After suffering their first loss, South Korea must beat France in the second leg to keep their hopes of reaching the Round of 16 alive. The French are the favorite to win the tournament, having gone undefeated in all three group stage matches in their previous three tournaments. France (3 points, +3) is tied with the United States (3 points, +2) for first place with one win apiece and a better goal differential.
South Korea is in third place behind the two countries, and a tie or loss against France would put a red flag on their chances of securing third place in the group, 무지개토토 depending on the outcome of the third game. The tournament features 24 nations divided into six groups, with the best four performers from the first and third place teams in each group advancing to the round of 16.
France’s target to watch is Mathieu Lambard. The youngster made his debut for the A team last September at the age of 17. He scored against Brunei Darussalam at the tournament and was the team’s top scorer at the UEFA U-17 Championship 2023.
In addition to Kim Myung-joon, who scored against the United States, South Korea will also be relying on Yoon Do-young’s footwork.
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