(LEAD) S Korea-football performance
 |
| ▲ South Korean captain Son Heung-min salutes the crowd after beating the United Arab Emirates 1-0 in the teams' Group A match in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 11, 2021. (Yonhap) |
 |
| ▲ Son Heung-min of South Korea (R) attempts a header against the United Arab Emirates during the teams' Group A match in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 11, 2021. (Yonhap) |
 |
| ▲ From left: Hwang In-beom, Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan of South Korea flash a heart sign after Hwang Hee-chan's goal against the United Arab Emirates during the teams' Group A match in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 11, 2021. (Yonhap) |
 |
| ▲ Hwang In-beom of South Korea celebrates after drawing a penalty against the United Arab Emirates during the teams' Group A match in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 11, 2021. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) S Korea-football performance
(LEAD) S. Korea put on entertaining show for record crowd in World Cup qualifying win
(ATTN: ADDS comments)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Yonhap) -- In beating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 1-0 in their latest World Cup qualifier at home on Thursday, South Korea played as entertaining a one-goal match as a team could have.
Apparently feeding off the energy of 30,152 fans at Goyang Stadium, a record crowd for a sporting event in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea peppered the UAE net with shots from every possible direction and angle.
That the only goal of the match came from a penalty by Hwang Hee-chan in the first half was the only downside on a night when South Korea did so many other things well.
South Korea held an 80-20 advantage in ball possession through the opening 20 minutes. What stood out in those early moments, compared to earlier qualifiers, was the way South Korean attackers applied aggressive pressure on UAE ball carriers. When opposing defenders secured the ball in their own zone, forward Cho Gue-sung, and wingers Hwang Hee-chan and Son Heung-min went after them hard to create turnovers and set up more scoring chances.
Son, the team captain, said he and his teammates executed their game plan to perfection in that regard.
"We knew UAE had some skilled players, and so we wanted to put pressure on them as much as possible," Son said. "We didn't have that much practice time together, but we talked to each other quite a bit about this."
Cho, in only his third international match, looked especially energetic up front. His hard work on forechecking nearly paid off with his first international goal in the 13th minute, though his shot from just outside the box hit the left post.
Cho was inserted into the starting lineup in the absence of Hwang Ui-jo, the French league striker sidelined with a hamstring injury. And head coach Paulo Bento acknowledged Cho's "good performance."
"Usually when the team wins, the decisions of the coach are correct," Bento said. "We try to teach him certain important things for the position. He's a guy with good features and characteristics to play in that position. Of course, he needs to learn certain things. But the performance was good."
And that was the recurring theme for South Korea on this night. Son himself struck the woodwork twice: first in the 45th minute with a left-footed shot after a mad dash from the midfield, and then in the 74th minute with a header set up by a well-placed cross from Kim Jin-su.
Son hung his head and was visibly frustrated after the second miss.
"My teammates worked so hard, and it's not often you get that many chances to score in a match," Son said. "I am really sorry that I didn't score. I'll have to do better."
Hwang Hee-chan, the lone goal scorer, said he and other attackers are aware of their lack of production, but all they can do at the moment is to stay the course.
"If we'd scored a couple more goals, we would have been able to close out the match early," Hwang said. "We understand the situation and we are all trying to change it for the better. We'll keep trying to create as many chances as possible."
Son and other attackers were beneficiaries of some deft passing by midfielder Hwang In-beom, who continues to improve as an orchestrator of the South Korean offense. It was Hwang who drew the foul that led to the only goal of the match.
Hwang connected with Son on multiple occasions with particularly sharp passes, and the duo showed potential to become the top offensive option for the national team.
"We really appreciated our fans showing up on such a cold night, and I wish we would have returned their love with an even bigger victory," Son said. "We'll try to score more the next time."
(END)
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
