Draw against Colombia
Former national coach Jürgen Klinsmann missed a win on his debut as the new head coach of the South Korean national team. In front of around 36,000 fans in the sold-out World Cup stadium in the south-eastern port city of Ulsan, the South Koreans couldn’t get more than 2-2 (2-0) against Colombia on Friday. The 58-year-old was nevertheless satisfied after the draw.
His team played at high speed from the start and wanted to create chances, Klinsmann said, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap. His players could have withstood the aggressiveness of the Colombians. “I was very pleased with how we implemented our ideas tactically.”
South Korea’s star striker and captain Heung-Min Son put the 2002 World Cup fourth-placed ahead with a brace (10 minutes/45+2). Former Bayern pro James Rodríguez (46′) and Jorge Carrascal (49′) equalized for the South Americans shortly after the break. In the next match, South Korea meets two-time world champions Uruguay on Tuesday in Seoul.
Klinsmann arrived in South Korea on March 8th. Before his first match, he only had four days to train with the team. In the few days he has seen many good things, he said. The match was “very good”. “We conceded two goals right after half-time, maybe we just lacked concentration.” Klinsmann Son, who currently plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League, received special praise. “He played a fantastic game,” said Klinsmann, who once played for Tottenham when he was playing.
The South Korean Football Association (KFA) announced Klinsmann’s commitment at the end of February. The former German international, who succeeded Portuguese Paulo Bento, has a contract until the 2026 World Cup final. It is Klinsmann’s third job as national coach. From summer 2004 to summer 2006 he looked after the German national team. Between July 2011 and November 2016 he was the national coach of the USA.
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