50% of the '8 out of 16 goals' replacement players involved in scoring, Hong Myung-bo's amazing mercenary skills, or Plan A that doesn't work out
50% of the '8 out of 16 goals' replacement players involved in scoring, Hong Myung-bo's amazing mercenary skills, or Plan A that doesn't work out
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It is Hong Myung-bo's achievement and homework that the replacement player's participation in scoring reaches 50%.
South Korea's men's national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, played its ninth Group B match at Basra International Stadium in Basra, Iraq, on the 6th (Korea time), beating Iraq 2-0 in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup. South Korea remained at the top of the group with 19 points and succeeded in participating in the World Cup for the 11th consecutive time, regardless of the results of the remaining match against Kuwait.
South Korea took advantage of its numerical advantage to win the game. In the early part of the first half, they struggled under strong pressure from Iraq amid the disadvantage of an away game and failed to create a proper opportunity to attack. However, in the 26th minute of the first half, Ali al-Hamadi was directly sent off for a dangerous foul that put his foot in Cho Yoo-min's face, allowing South Korea to take the lead and play. However, in the first half, Lee Jae-sung in the 36th minute of the first half and Lee Kang-in in the 4th minute of the first half of the extra time did not even score a goal.
In the second half, the substitute players were active and scored two goals to confirm their advance to the World Cup finals. Kim Jin-kyu, who was put in at the start of the second half, shook the net in the 18th minute of the second half by connecting the ball that Lee Kang-in gave to the center with an elaborate right-footed shot. Oh Hyun-kyu, who came in in the 15th minute of the second half, and Jeon Jin-woo, who was replaced in the 29th minute of the second half, combined for an additional goal in the 37th minute of the second half to give South Korea a victory.
Since taking the helm, Hong has benefited a lot from substitute players. As a substitute in the 44th minute of the second half at the match against Oman in September, Joo Min-gyu started when he scored the net at the 11th minute of extra time in the second half. In the nine games that Hong has played since the second period, six have been involved in scoring goals. As substitute players have scored or assisted in eight of the 16 goals, a total of 50 percent have been scored by substitute players.
Judging from the current situation, Hong's mercenary skills prove to be a success. Hong enjoyed most of the performances by replacing strikers. Joo Min-gyu against Oman, Oh against Jordan and Oh Hyun-gyu against Iraq were substituted, and thus scored a goal. Oh was deployed in place of Oh in the 15th minute of the second half to vitalize Korea's offense by making moves and bold shots to escape to the side, and he scored a wedge goal in the 37th minute of the second half.
The mercenary skills of this game should certainly be praised. In the second half, Hong hired several players who have shown excellent performance in the recent K-League, including Kim Jin-kyu, Moon Sun-min, Jeon Jin-woo and Choi Jun. Hong explained that he prioritized the sense of practice in the composition of the A-match in June, as such intentions were reflected in actual games, resulting in three points and qualification for the World Cup finals.
Behind the scenes, however, is the anxiety over Hong's Plan A, which is gradually decreasing in destructive power. Since taking office, Hong has put more emphasis on stability than on innovation. With the exception of front-line players and full-backs, which are always a concern, Hong has displayed strong trust in the existing starting lineup as long as no one has been injured. The fact that Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-seong, Lee Kang-in, Hwang In-beom, Park Yong-woo, Kim Min-jae, Cho Yoo-min, Seol Young-woo and Cho Hyun-woo are the main players needs to watch just one or two matches of the national team's matches.
A familiar starting lineup creates a sense of stability, but at the same time, it also makes it easier for opponents to find countermeasures. This is evidenced by the recent 1-1 draw with Palestine, Oman, and Jordan. Notably, despite holding two consecutive home A-match games in March, the team failed to secure three points due to lack of control over the opponent team. It cannot be explained by the fact that Kim Min-jae's injury, Hwang In-beom, and Lee Kang-in alternately failed to play. Rather, if the departure of a certain player has affected it, we should look back on Hong's tactical capabilities. 먹튀검증
In this match as well, Korea failed to easily target Iraq until the latter fell to a numerical inferiority due to Ali al-Hamadi's exit in the 26th minute of the first half. If there had been no exit, it would not have been easy to predict the outcome.
"Since we have confirmed the World Cup finals after today's game, we will focus on the World Cup from now on. We will prepare for the World Cup finals one by one," Hong said at a press conference after the game. As he said, "We will prepare various basics for the World Cup finals, the wind of change should be clearly seen in terms of performance in the future.