Ulsan director Hong Myung-bo ahead of Al Duha day “Dominates the space…I must be 5th place” [클럽월드컵]

Offer | Korea Professional Football Federation

[스포츠서울 김용일기자] “To a game that dominates the space… I will definitely be in fifth place.”

Ulsan Hyundai coach Hong Myung-bo, who showed impressive performance in the first game of the FIFA Club World Cup even in a short preparation period, said, pledged to be beautiful.

Hong’s Ulsan faces host country club Al Duhail (Qatar) in the 5th~6th place match at the Alhamed bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Qatar at 12 pm (KST) on the 7th. Ulsan and Al Duhail lost 1-2 to Tigres (Mexico) and 0-1 to Al Ahli (Egypt) in their first match. As it is a confrontation between Asian clubs, there is no concession. The fifth place holds a prize of $1.5 million, and the sixth place holds a prize of $1 million.

Coach Hong said at a press conference held online the day before the game, “I focused on recovering for two days. The players have recovered physically and mentally.” “I will save the positive parts that I found in the first game and make up for the deficiencies. I promised to win the remaining game and reap the beauty of Yujong.” Coach Hong, who had trained for the winter field less than two weeks after his appointment, still showed his defensive organizational skills based on the space perception he emphasized at the time in the Tigress match. Having scored both goals was a set piece. Transferred students such as Kim Ji-hyun and Dong-jun Lee showed the possibility of attacking, and Bitgaram Yoon, “the core of Jungwon,” showed off his reliable performance. Coach Hong said, “In the first game, I thought of a tactic of infiltrating the opponent’s backspace or flank while gaining defensive organization. It didn’t go smoothly, but the tactics that put pressure on the opponent with count attacks or forward pressure worked well. Al-Duhailjeon has to go a little more aggressive to get the results.” He said, “I’m thinking of a strategy to dominate the space while focusing on midfield play.”

Regarding Lucas Hintercontrol, a new foreigner who joined the squad in Qatar, “The condition is not perfect right now. There was also a break in Europe before joining the team. However, it is positive that they show their best efforts after joining. I’m still not perfect with the players, but I look forward to returning to Korea and showing a better appearance like this one.”

Above all, coach Hong hoped that this tournament would be a big driver for the young players on the team. “It’s amazing that young players experience such a big competition. If the start of my career as a player is the Club World Cup, I think there will be nothing more fantastic than that.” He said, “If you use this opportunity for self-improvement in the future, I think it will be a good thing for Korean football as well as Ulsan.”

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