Korean Media: Unable to Secure a Win at Home Against 96th Ranked Opponent, Hong Myung-bo’s Situation Deteriorates Further

On the evening of September 5, in the first round of the Asian Qualifiers for the World Cup, South Korea drew 0-0 with Palestine at home. After the match, Korean media severely criticized the national team and its head coach, Hong Myung-bo.

NATE, a Korean media outlet, stated that this was an utterly disappointing game. Playing at home against Palestine, ranked 96th by FIFA, South Korea failed to score. Moreover, due to poor defensive performance, they almost conceded a goal. Throughout the match, there was no sign of a well-organized attack from the South Korean side; only the anxious face of head coach Hong Myung-bo on the bench could be seen.

The final score was a 0-0 draw. With this result, both teams earned one point each, marking the start of their journey in the third stage of the Asian Qualifiers.

South Korea is grouped with Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, and Kuwait in Group B. Travelling to West Asia requires more than ten hours of flight time, presenting a significant challenge to the players’ physical condition. Despite this, South Korea is still considered to have a clear advantage. Playing at home, it was generally expected that South Korea should secure a big win.

However, from the beginning of the match, South Korea frequently made passing errors in the attacking area, making it difficult to score. Palestine, on the other hand, threatened the South Korean defense several times through counterattacks. It wasn’t until midway through the first half that South Korea created any meaningful scoring opportunities.

Despite having world-class players like Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in in the squad, they did not exhibit the expected synergy. During the match, Hong Myung-bo’s tactical intentions were unclear, and the attacks seemed to rely more on individual player skills.

At halftime, Hong Myung-bo substituted some players in an attempt to change the course of the game. However, the issues in the attacking phase persisted, and the tactical arrangements appeared monotonous and lacked variation. The offense mainly relied on Son Heung-min on the left and Lee Kang-in on the right, without seeing runs or assists from midfielders or fullbacks.

Due to excessive emphasis on offense leading to an imbalance between attack and defense, South Korea’s backline frequently exposed gaps in the latter stages of the second half, narrowly avoiding conceding a goal to Palestine. The performance on both ends of the pitch was unsatisfactory. Ultimately, Hong Myung-bo’s team disappointed fans greatly in their opening match.

Korean media noted that ten years ago, Hong Myung-bo had vowed to make up for past regrets at the World Cup. However, the first match of the Asian Qualifiers ended in such a disappointing manner. It can be foreseen that Hong Myung-bo will face even greater public scrutiny moving forward.