“Yokohama disaster”… Tokyo Olympic torch relay start day, Korean soccer bridesmaid

The Tokyo Olympic torch relay, which opens in July, began on the morning of the 25th. The starting point was Fukushima, when the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in 2011. The Japanese government is trying to promote’revival’ to the world through the Olympics.

On the same day at 7:20 pm, the friendly match between Korea and Japan soccer team held at Yokohama Nissan Stadium was an opportunity to promote the’Safe Olympics’ from the Japanese standpoint. The audience also received 10,000. As Japan intended, Korean football was properly taken care of.

It is the “Yokohama disaster”. After losing 0-3 in Sapporo in 2011, it was a devastating defeat in a friendly match between Korea and Japan in 10 years, and was the third goal in history. Korea (38th in the FIFA rankings) and Japan (27th in the FIFA rankings) scored two goals in the first half and one in the second half, losing 0-3. Losing in the ’80th Korea-Japan match’, Korea was only 42 wins, 23 draws and 15 losses.

Korea was unable to join due to injuries such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Hwang Eui-jo (Bordeaux) due to the regulation of selecting their team due to COVID-19. In fact, it was group 1.5-2.

Korean coach Paulo Bento (Portugal) picked up the’Zero Top (a typical offensive attack that disturbs the opponent without distinction between the front line and the second line)’, which puts Lee Kang-in (Valencia) on the front line. As he was pushed back, he came up with an anomalous tactic. Among the selection lists, only Korea was Lee Kang-in, but Japan had 8 members, including Yuya Osako (Werder Bremen). Just before the kickoff, Son Heung-min left a post on Instagram saying,’I am very sorry for not being together’.

Bento tried to utilize the speed of the 1m73cm trio alone, including Lee Kang-in, Na Sang-ho (Seoul), and Lee Dong-jun (Ulsan), but Japan caught it. Japan’s pass football and pressure wrecked the Korean defense.

In the 11th minute, Endo Wataru (Stuttgart)’s header hit the crossbar, and Korea conceded in the 16th minute. While Korea delayed the ball in a dangerous area, Japan Osako’s hill pass was finished with a strong shot by flank defense Miki Yamane (Kawasaki). In the 26th minute of the first half, the pass between Lee Kang-in and Hong-cheol (Ulsan) was cut off, and Daichi Kamada (Frankfurt) scored an additional goal with a ground-ball shot at the counterattack chance.

In the second half, Bento added Jung Woo-young (Freiburg) except Lee Kang-in. Korea’s mobility and determination increased slightly, but an additional goal was scored in the second half of the 38th minute. Endo Wataru (Stuttgart) was completely missed in the corner and scored an extra goal with a header. It was only in the 39th minute of the second half that Lee Dong-jun recorded his first effective shot.

Commentator Ahn Jung-hwan, who scored two goals against Japan as a player, said during the broadcast, “The match between Korea and Japan is a brutal game where only wins and losses remain. I said,’Let’s think it’s the last game and run to death’” he recalled. In the meantime, the only thing ahead of Korea and Japan’s opponents is that Korea is striking in a fight full of determination. However, it was pushed not only in the first half standard shooting (1 vs 9) but also in the number of fouls (5 vs 9).

Commentator Han Joon-hee said, “I hit a slow long pass at the Korean attacking team with a low airpower. I had to make it from midfield, but it was pushed back from midfield. Initially, the selection of players such as Hong Chul was strange, and he was obsessed with Qatar League players (Al Sadd Nam Tae-hee and Jung Woo-young). Not enough was taken as a defensive midfielder, and there seemed to be no squad leader. If it wasn’t for goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu (Kashiwa), it was a jolt that could have scored 5 or 6 runs.”

In the process of selecting the national team, Ulsan coach Hong Myung-bo said, “Hong-cheol is not in good shape due to an injury,” but Bento selected Hong-cheol to start the game. Hongcheol improved a little in the second half, but it is’bento unconventional leadership’. In addition, he went on an expedition to Japan amid fears of Corona 19, but this defeat is expected to intensify criticism against the Korea Football Association and Bento coach.

Just before the game, a Japanese security guard at the national team hotel was positively judged, but both teams were judged negative, and the game proceeded normally. After returning to Korea on the 26th, the Korean national team will immediately go to the Paju NFC (National Team Training Center) and continue training with’same group (cohort) quarantine’ until the 2nd of next month.

Reporter Park Lin [email protected]