South Korea

The Taeguk Warriors always make it, but they don’t often get the tests they need on their home continent, which is why they frequently fail to perform well when it really matters. This has allowed them to secure a spot in the World Cup for the tenth time in a row, making it their 11th overall appearance.

Even if the performances were not particularly noteworthy, there were indications of progress being made at the end of the qualifying season. It should not have come as a surprise, though, since preparation began against Brazil in June. However, it did come as a surprise that the Koreans were completely overwhelmed and lost 5-1 at their home stadium.

In the time that remains before the tournament in Qatar, the objective at hand is to close the gap that exists between Asia and the other teams competing in Group H: Uruguay, Portugal, and Ghana. A lot rides on the players who are based in Europe, on whether or not the big names can keep their fitness up, and on whether or not the Portuguese coach, Paulo Bento, can get his tactics correct.

Korea’s performance at the 2019 Asian Cup and for the majority of qualification was lackluster due to the fact that their head coach has not yet demonstrated that he can get the best out of the players.

TACTICS

In his four years as a coach, Paulo Bento has experimented with a variety of offensive formations, including one, two, and three players in the attack. He likes to set up plays from the back and in the middle of the field. However, he has been criticized for being too conservative, making too many substitutions, and not using Korea’s natural ability to attack quickly.

READY TO SHINE

Son Heung-min

Everything rides on the shoulders of their one player of world-class caliber. It all depends on whether or not the player who won the Premier League Golden Boot stays healthy.