The U17 World Cup has been successful so far for the U17 Taegeuk Warriors being led by Kim Jungsoo. Today at 6 PM EST we’ll take on Mexico for a spot in the semifinals, live on FS1.
Let’s take a look at the lineup for both sides and get an idea of how we’ve been playing thus far.
So far Korea hasn’t played the most attractive football. I’ve said this on Twitter so far but this team is still lacking on the offensive end. Overall, there’s a bit too much Route 1 football with long balls for Choi Minseo to chase. Also, technically the attackers struggle to keep a move going with quick decision-making. They miss passes or lose the ball unable to turn quickly enough out of traffic. The most creative player we’ve seen so far is Eom Jisung and he starts today as a right winger. Unfortunately, one of our midfield stalwarts in qualifying, Hong Yunsang, is still recovering from injury and is only fit for the bench. He hasn’t appeared yet, but this preview of the U17 World Cup shows what he can provide creatively.
On defense, we have been solid enough to get this far. We say pretty compact at the back, press in the midfield, and Shin Songhoon is strong between the sticks. However, France definitely showed that the compactness of the defense can be exploited. Also, in the box our defending can get a bit panicked and last ditch with all the blocks. My review of this team is that the U20 World Cup squad had much more on both ends of the pitch. I would say this team is solid but not spectacular. We’ll see how they fare tonight.
Mexico’s Lineup
Mexico will be looking to take down another Asian side after defeating Japan 2-0 in the RO16. Highlights are below, to give you a little feel for how they play.
Alright, let’s go to the semifinals. Catch us on Twitter @taegeuktavern with updates from the match.
I agree with you on your assessment of this team. Very insipid! Watched the match against the Mexicans, and it was frustrating to watch. Considering the age and lack of experience, I’m not even gauging the team based on high standard, but the team didn’t even show youthful exuberance. That Mexican team was totally beatable. I didn’t see much of urgency or intensity from the Korean side until they went down by a goal. Why wait till your team is down before playing with high energy? I’ve said this time and time again, unless your team possess some unbelievable high individual talents, you win modern football game by intensity. That trumps over strategy, formation, etc…. I don’t understand some of these kids crying after the match either. If you’re that passionate about winning and losing, show it on the pitch before the whistle blows. Leave it all out there during the match and the fact they were crying afterward tells me they didn’t play hard enough. Advice to these kids, If you truly play hard, then whether you win or lose, you won’t have any regret. And pat yourself for putting out the right level of performance and be proud!