Fighting Spirit Shines Without Goals... Korea Draws 0-0 in First Match Against Uruguay
Coach Bento: "We Have the Same Confidence as in the Ghana Match Today"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Challenging Korea's soccer team to advance to the Round of 16 in the World Cup for the first time in 12 years, the Korean national soccer team captain Son Heung-min expressed his thoughts after drawing with Uruguay in the first match, saying, "There is a lot of regret about the draw, but since the next match is still ahead, we will prepare and do well."
Led by head coach Paulo Bento, the Korean national soccer team played to a 0-0 draw against Uruguay in the first match of Group H in the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup group stage, held on the afternoon of the 24th (Korean time) at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
Son Heung-min, who was included in the squad after surgery for an ankle fracture, played the match wearing a black mask. Son said, "(The injury) was something I tried not to pay much attention to, and it was my first match in three weeks," adding, "The players around me helped me well, so I was able to play the match well."
Although Korea did not secure a victory in the first hurdle toward advancing to the Round of 16, they earned 1 point by showing an equal level of play against the South American powerhouse Uruguay.
Son Heung-min said, "I think it is still too early to talk about the Round of 16," emphasizing, "We have to show everything we have in the remaining two matches to advance to the Round of 16, so we will focus only on the upcoming matches and give it our all."
The next opponent for Bento's team is Ghana. Son said, "Ghana is a considerably strong team, but they are the weakest in Group H, so we will fight with all our might, more fiercely than in today's match."
He continued, "I thank everyone who cheered from a distance and those who supported us on TV," and expressed gratitude, saying, "There may be regrets about today's match, but we will do our best to make up for the shortcomings."
Regarding today's match, head coach Paulo Bento said, "I am proud of the players. They played a good quality match today, and their understanding of the game was very good."
When asked about the next match against Ghana, Coach Bento showed strong confidence, saying, "We have the same confidence as in today's match," and "We will be able to fight just like we did against Uruguay."
The Korean national soccer team will continue their Group H second and third matches against Ghana at 10 p.m. on the 28th and Portugal at midnight on December 3, at the same stadium.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
