[Anchor]
As just reported, head coach Hong Myung-bo has announced that he will change up to three players in the starting lineup for tomorrow's (June 25) match compared to the previous two games. It is expected that he will look to strengthen the attack to exploit the weaknesses in South Africa's defense.
Reporter Hong Seok-jun looks at what winning strategies might be in store.
[Reporter]
South Africa is likely to employ a tactic that focuses on a solid defense followed by counterattacks. If so, what changes can we make to penetrate the space behind their defense?
The first option is the so-called "Son Heung-min shift," moving Son Heung-min, who played as the lone striker in the matches against the Czech Republic and South Africa, to the left flank.
Looking at South Africa's second goal conceded against Mexico, their right-back Mudau missed a player rushing toward the goal, leading to the score.
We also need to target their right-side defense and the space behind it, and having Son Heung-min start as a left winger could be more effective for penetrating that space.
Son has demonstrated sharp space-penetration abilities in this tournament with a top sprint speed of 35.2 km/h, giving him a speed advantage over Mudau, who has a top speed of 33.3 km/h.
If Son moves to the left, who will start as the striker?
South Africa showed a weakness in their match against Mexico, where they conceded a goal after losing the ball to high pressing while attempting to build up from the back.
Considering the need for high pressing, Oh Hyeon-gyu, who has a high work rate, appears to be a strong candidate.
[Oh Hyeon-gyu/National Football Team Forward: I think the only thing we can do is win, so no matter how many seconds or minutes I play, I am trying to pour everything I have into the game.]
There is another option as well.
Given that South African defenders are relatively short, with an average height of 179cm, coach Hong could consider the "starting card" of Cho Gue-sung, a 189cm tall striker with strong heading ability, to dominate the air.
Changes are also expected at the left wing-back position, which requires deep overlapping during attacks and quick recovery for defense.
Lee Tae-seok, a left-footed player who performed well against the Czech Republic; Eom Ji-sung, who made a strong impact as a substitute against Mexico; and Castrop, a mixed-race player who has not yet appeared in the first two matches, are all awaiting coach Hong's decision.
Fans are watching with anticipation to see if coach Hong's new plan will become the "winning card" that leads the team to the Round of 32.
Reported by Hong Seok-jun | Video by Jeon Min-gyu | Design by Choi Jae-young and Jo Su-in | Produced by Han Seung-ho
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