“I am quite satisfied because I feel like I have grown to another level.”
안전놀이터Jürgen Klinsmann’s national soccer team, which is receiving a lot of criticism, responded that it was satisfied with both the content and result of the match against Saudi Arabia.
Coach Klinsmann smiled brightly and conveyed his emotions after scoring his first win as Korea in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia held at St. James Park in Newcastle, England on the morning of the 13th (Korean time).
The national team won with a goal by Cho Gyu-seong (Midtjylland) in the 32nd minute of the first half. Cho Kyu-sung scored for the first time in the national team uniform after scoring multiple goals against Ghana in the second round of the group stage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup in December last year.
Coach Klinsmann, who recovered for 90 minutes, said, “I think we are a team that fully deserves to win. Of course, Saudi Arabia was also a good team. They are a good team that beat a strong team called Argentina in the World Cup. Just like us, they are going through a process of change and generational change. “This is a team that is going through a difficult time. From Korea’s perspective, they showed a lot of good performances and created chances,” he said.
It seems that the players wanted to show their fighting spirit for victory. Coach Klinsmann said, “Before the game, I asked the players to be more sturdy, rougher, and hit harder. I am very satisfied because I think we have improved in those areas. However, we still need to improve and improve in many areas. “I think the longer the players spend together, the more synergy effects they will see in their interests and connections,” he said, predicting positively.
Saudi Arabia is also an opponent they have a good chance of meeting in the Asian Cup knockout stage (after the round of 16). He responded, “There are positive aspects, and there are also areas where we need to improve ourselves. We will continue to strive to win and create more opportunities to achieve good results.”
This is Klinsmann, who has played 6 games since March until today. It appears that Klinsman was not at the 100% strength he thought he was, as Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) missed basic military training in June. This time too, Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) was out due to injury.
He said, “There are still some difficult parts. I think we need to watch the process further,” and then added, “There have been a lot of changes. There have been a lot of changes since March, and in June, due to various injuries and external factors, the desired situation was not achieved.” “The players did not join 100%. It’s the same this time too,” he explained.
Of course, it is difficult to judge everything from six games, but there is a lot of criticism following Coach Klinsmann’s aggressive actions and points out that the tactics and strategies are colorless. So it is true that a cool-headed diagnosis of the six games is necessary.
Klinsmann said, “After taking office, I met with the players three times for 10 days each. It is not easy to make a conclusion. We need to play more games. We need to play four games before the Asian Cup and see what preparations are needed. Through more games, we need to find out the direction we want for the players. “I will make it and share it with others,” he said.
Klinsmann said that individual competitiveness is also necessary. He said, “The health of the players is also important. There should be no injuries. I think we need to continue to share and improve. It is important to return to the team and maintain performance and playing time. In the case of Hwang Hee-chan, he has just recovered from an injury and is gradually improving. “Lee Kang-in, on the other hand, is still in the recovery stage. There are parts of him that are not playing in the game. What is important is how healthy he can continue playing for his team and go to the Asian Cup,” he said, adding that he wanted to continue his performance.
Klinsmann, who is aware of the critical public opinion about the previous five games, said, “I understand the (negative) opinions and voices of fans. Ultimately, it is the fate of a soccer coach. I think it is something that can naturally happen in soccer life. Many people say ‘ “I think there were bound to be opinions like ‘What about this type of model?’ and ‘I want to see soccer like this.’” He added, “I think (critical public opinion) is a part of soccer. So the most important thing is that we are creating a process now.” “I’m thinking about how to manage the company and how to organize the staff well to create a synergy effect,” he said, once again revealing that he was a “workaholic.”
Coach Klinsmann, who said he learned a lot from the Wales and Saudi Arabia games, said, “We need to be in top shape for the Asian Cup. We are thinking about how to prepare and form a staff and players. The convocation over the past 10 days was positive. The players are ready to join the new coaching staff. He showed a lot of understanding on the pitch about how they work, how they run the team, how they want to train, what type of soccer they want to play, and how they want to show their performance. We also had a lot of personal interviews. We heard a lot from the players and we communicated a lot. “As we spent time together, we went through a process of understanding each other little by little,” he said, appealing that the ‘process’ and ‘growth’ that he had continuously emphasized are taking place.
Coach Klinsmann, who still understands the concerns of Korean fans regarding long-distance work and external activities, said, “I fully understand what many people who love Korean culture, Koreans, and soccer fans are thinking and what they are worried about. I will convey this clearly. “As the national team coach, I think I need to keep an international perspective and study how the trend is changing without losing sight of it. As I spend time in Korea, I still feel the need to play a role in what is clearly needed,” he said. He said he would contribute to the development of Korean soccer by demonstrating his abilities.