Director Jurgen Klinsmann’s ‘crisis management ability’ has been put to the test. The Korean national soccer team, led by Coach Klinsmann, will play the third and final match of Group E of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup against Malaysia at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar at 8:30 p.m. on the 25th (Korean time). .With advancement to the round of 16 already confirmed, what is as important as win or loss is the content of the game .In particular, attention is focused on how to manage the left and right defensive positions, which have emerged as Klinsmann’s greatest weakness .This is because three of Klinsmann’s four fullbacks are not in normal physical condition .Left defender Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk) suffered an injury at the training camp in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) just before the tournament and was benched for two consecutive games .It looks like he will have to go to at least the round of 16 to be able to play as a starter. Another left defender Lee Ki-je (Suwon) suffered a hamstring (muscle behind the thigh) injury during the second game against Jordan, so it is unclear whether he will participate in the third game. Right defender Kim Tae-hwan (Jeonbuk) also took a break from training due to pain in his calf. The only player in normal condition is Seol Young-woo (Ulsan).It is fortunate that Seol Young-woo can play both the left and right sides. First of all, there is no clear alternative other than placing Seol Young-woo on the left and Kim Tae-hwan on the right.

Lee Soon-min (Daejeon), who was selected as a defensive midfielder, played right fullback during his college days and early professional career, but it seems an uneasy choice to play this position at the national team level. Since the side defense is unstable, the ‘three-back tactic’, which involves adding one central defender to three, is also being discussed as an alternative. Coach Klinsmann recently met with reporters at the training ground and directly mentioned the ‘three back’, saying that he was discussing many options with the coaches regarding defensive tactics .However, since the Klinsmann has never operated a three-back in actual combat since its launch, it seems likely that this was a statement made at a principled level. The side defense problems are not the end. Korea received 7 yellow cards in the first and second games. In order to operate properly in the first critical round of 16, there should be no accumulation of warnings in this match against Malaysia. is because a player who receives a second yellow card cannot play in the round of 16.

Coach Klinsmann also needs to solve the problem of decision-making at the front line. They must choose whether to continue to trust striker Cho Gyu-seong (Midtjylland), who has scored no goals in three consecutive games, or whether to make changes. ach Klinsmann must present solutions to these problems before advancing to the round of 16.With the team already confirmed to advance to the round of 16, facing Malaysia, the weakest team in the group, can be called ‘lucky’ for coach Klinsmann in that it can be an opportunity to reorganize the team through actual matches .If Korea finishes in first place in the group stage, it will meet Japan in second place in Group D in the round of 16, and if it finishes in second place, it will meet Saudi Arabia in first place in Group F.Both teams seem difficult to deal with with Klinsmann’s current performance .Everyone is paying attention to how Coach Klinsmann will overcome the biggest crisis since taking office .Coach Klinsmann watched the match between Japan and Indonesia the day before on site and 스포츠토토존 explored Japan’s capabilities.