The Korea Football Association Goes All the Way

The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hwang Sun-hong, will play the fourth leg of the second Asian qualifying round for the "2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup" against Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on the 26th.

South Korea, which had only a 1-1 draw in the third leg of its home game against Thailand on the 21st, left for Thailand on the 22nd with determination to get three points in the match.

If the Thailand match at the Seoul World Cup Stadium left some regrets, the KFA's attitude caused a lot of regrets.

Korean soccer aimed to win the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, which ended last month.

It has world-class players such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), aiming for the first time in 64 years since the second tournament in 1960.

However, the team failed to make it to the semi-finals due to colorless and odorless tactics and response, which is represented by former German coach Jurgen Klinsmann's "Help me soccer." The team lost to Jordan, which had never lost, 0-2, and failed to win the title.

It was the moment when former coach Klinsmann's incompetence, which he was concerned about at the time of his appointment, became a reality.

Chung Mong-kyu, president of the Korea Football Association, explained that he took the normal process of appointing former coach Klinsmann.

However, former coach Klinsmann became controversial when he said in an interview with a German media that his "joke" with Chairman Chung became the starting point and led Korea.

The aftermath of the Asian Cup did not end there. On the eve of the semifinal match against Jordan, physical friction broke out between Lee Kang-in who said he would play table tennis and Son Heung-min who was trying to stop him.

Lee Kang-in, who was embroiled in a "downward controversy," personally visited Son Heung-min in London, England, apologized and settled it, but the public opinion that turned his back has continued so far.

Furthermore, it has been revealed that he played cards with a bet at a training site where he was preparing for the Asian Cup. To make matters worse, an employee of the Korea Football Association is also involved in the alleged back-money transactions in uniforms, which has caused a stir.

The Korea Football Association explained that the allegations were not true, but the national team is shaking due to noise outside the game.

In the end, fans criticized the Korea Football Association and the leadership at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, where the match against Thailand was held on the 21st. When the FIFA ranking was tied with Thailand (101st), which is 79 places lower than Korea (22nd), angry fans held it up.

More than 60,000 spectators were watching the first A-match since the Asian Cup, but the results were shocking. Korean players went to the ground with all their might and made efforts to win the match with atonement. However, the incompetence of the KFA, including Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, which had been problematic since the appointment of Klinsmann, has affected the World Cup qualifiers.

Fans shouted slogans such as "Mongyu OUT" and "There is no future for the Chukhyeop with Monggyu" at the stadium, as well as "Jung Mong-gyu, get out" before and after the game.

Chairman Chung visited the stadium in person and checked the performance with both eyes and ears. However, Chairman Chung did not seem to be very conscious of the performance. After the game, he hurriedly left the stadium with a bright expression, such as making a V sign with his fans and taking pictures with his fingers.

The Korea Football Association bowed its head in response to repeated noises, saying, "I would like to reiterate my apologies for this series of suspicions and disappointments in the national team-related work."

"This incident should serve as an opportunity for working-level officials to clearly recognize and implement the national team operation manual so that there is no shortage in supporting the national team," he said, vowing to change his appearance.

Korean soccer drew against Thailand, but if it remains the same, it is highly likely to advance to the final qualifying round.

As many as eight tickets will be given to Asian regions for the finals starting from the North, Central and U.S. World Cup. Considering Korea's past records and FIFA rankings, it is unlikely that Korea will be able to advance to the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time.

However, we must not let our guard down. Korea failed to win the Asian Cup semifinals after losing to Jordan, who was ranked 87th in the FIFA rankings, and Thailand, which tied this time, is ranked 101st.

Considering that South Korea is ranked 22nd, it can be seen that a well-organized team is more competitive than FIFA ranking or power.

The first step toward a well-organized team is that it needs to be backed by a proper and normal football association. This means that the association has not gone as far as it will go, causing all kinds of noise.

As the Korea Football Association said, it is time to overhaul not only working-level officials but also high-ranking officials including Chairman Chung.

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