Winning is fundamental. He needs a big win to change his game. This is Hwang Sun-hong’s mission against Myanmar.
Hwang Sun-hong’s U-22 team will take on Myanmar in the final Group B match of the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers at the Changwon Football Center in Gyeongnam, South Korea, on Wednesday at 8 p.m. It is the final match of the qualifiers with a spot at the U-23 Asian Cup, which also serves as the final qualifier for next year’s Paris Olympics.
The odds are in their favor. Despite a 0-2 loss to Qatar in their first match, Qatar will not be counted in the group stage as they have already qualified as hosts. Instead, they won their second game against Kyrgyzstan 1-0 to lead the group. South Korea has three points (one win), ahead of Myanmar (one draw) and Kyrgyzstan (one draw, one loss – one more win). Kyrgyzstan has been eliminated and only needs a draw against Myanmar to qualify as the group’s top team.
Qualification is the priority, so the result is the most important thing. But for this match, they need to look beyond that. In fact, objectively speaking, Myanmar is not a game to worry about losing. The team needs a “turnaround” that will help them deflect some of the criticism they’ve been getting lately.
In fact, Myanmar is one of the weakest teams in Asia. They are ranked 160th by FIFA, and the last time they qualified for the AFC U-23 Championship was 10 years ago. In the qualifiers, they were thrashed 0-6 by Qatar and drew 1-1 with Kyrgyzstan. The objective power differential with South Korea is clear.
However, a look back at Hwang’s previous two matches doesn’t offer much hope. He lost to Qatar in an embarrassing defeat and then struggled against Kyrgyzstan, a team that is considered to be one of the best in the world. Even against Kyrgyzstan, the team’s performance was frustrating. Overshadowed by the A team’s Klinsmann, Hwang Sun-hong’s recent performances have also been criticized.
This match is a chance for him to shake off the disappointment of the previous two games. Both Hwang and his players need to prove that they are still a team that can improve. In particular, it will be important for Hwang to show how much of a difference he can make tactically.
There’s nothing like a multi-goal win to change the mood. Despite scoring just one goal in two games, there are plenty of attacking options to look forward to. Hong Yun-sang (Pohang), who scored the only goal in the qualifiers, carried the momentum of his two-game goal streak for his club team to the national team. Kim Shin-jin (Seoul) and Heo Yul (Gwangju), who are categorized as frontline attackers, also performed well for their clubs. Uhm Ji Sung (Gwangju) and Sang Bin (Minnesota) are also capable of scoring goals.온라인바카
However, if the team continues to perform poorly, they will not be able to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris. To qualify, Korea will need to finish in the top three at the Asian Cup. That’s a tall order given Hwang’s poor form. Moreover, Hwang”s tactics and leadership have been questionable. Even if they qualify for the Asian Cup, they may have to part ways with Hwang. All eyes will be on the final match of the qualifiers.