Following Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in will also make 'reverse remarks' and 'reverse effects' on Korean soccer
Following Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in will also make 'reverse remarks' and 'reverse effects' on Korean soccer
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The words that Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in made in the national team last year and this year did not help the team. The simple emotional appeal only backfired when they had to move toward their goal with a cool head.
The South Korean men's national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, beat Kuwait 4-0 at home in the final 10th Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 10th.
South Korea scored 22 points with six wins, four draws in 10 games, winning a ticket to the World Cup finals, which is given up to the second place in each group, as well as the first place in the undefeated group.
South Korea, which was leading the game, scored the first goal in the 30th minute of the first half. Jeon Jin-woo tried to head a corner kick that Hwang In-beom curled with his right foot from the left side, and it became a goal. It hit the thigh of opposing captain Fahad Al Haderri and became an own goal.
Since then, Korea has continued to lead the match, overwhelming the latter with 71.1 percent of ball possession in the first half. He also had 12 shots on target, recording four shots on target, while Kuwait only had two shots. In the first half alone, Korea had nine corner kicks.
Six minutes into the second half, South Korea scored an additional goal. The hero is Lee Kang-in. After taking the ball from the opponent who was about to go on the counterattack, it was passed to Bae Jun-ho on the left, and when Bae Jun-ho passed toward Lee Kang-in, who was running in a cut, Lee Kang-in made it 2-0 with a low left foot shot from the left side of the box.
This was not the end of the game. In the ninth minute of the second half, Bae Joon-ho stepped back and headed down Hwang In-beom's long cross from the right side, and Oh Hyun-kyu scored the third point with a right-footed shot that turned the ball straight.
Hong Myung-bo, who scored Lee Jae-sung's left foot deflection goal in the 27th minute of the second half, will go to the 2026 North-China World Cup as No. 1 in the group with 6 wins and 4 draws in the third qualifying round.
"I know many people are criticizing Coach Hong Myung-bo and the Korea Football Association," said Lee Kang-in, who attended the press conference after the match. "However, this also hurts the players. I hope you will look at the positive aspects and help me. I hope you will support me to do better in the World Cup."
In the mixed zone, he added, "I didn't mean to attack anyone. However, I'm asking for a little help so that the players can play happy soccer and soccer that can give them happiness in a positive atmosphere."
Was it really something to say at this point. Despite the confirmation of World Cup finals, fans booed Coach Hong Myung-bo before Sunday's match. It was his distrust that started from noise during the process of appointing him a year ago.
In the end, it was a distrust of the coach's qualifications, but it could not be solved by one player's childishness. If it had been an issue that would have been cleared up by Lee Kang-in's remarks on the day, it would have disappeared earlier.
Kim was also criticized for his similar remarks and actions last year. "From the beginning of the game, I could hear some people wanting my team to do poorly," Kim said on the fact that he approached the stands and talked with fans after the final whistle after the first match of the third preliminary round against Palestine in September last year. "I didn't mean to fight off aggressively, I just wanted to express regret. This is totally my opinion."
"I don't want to make excuses by combining ridicule with performance. I appreciate fans' support, and other players feel the same way. It was just because I felt sorry to hear the booing even before the game began. I didn't mean it seriously at all, but it's up to the person who accepts it if you want to think so," he said.
However, 토토사이트 Kim Min-jae jumped over the booing that even the coach Hong Myung-bo said he understood, only to raise the resentment of fans. Indeed, captain Son Heung-min even said, "We should not bump into fans after the game like Kim Min-jae did."