South Korea seeking consistency

Favorite Son looks to light up WCup

SEOUL, May 23, (RTRS): Stability off the field and consistency on it have both been elusive for South Korea and while coach Shin Tae-yong says they will show their “true power” during the World Cup, another early exit would come as no surprise.

South Korea seem to have lost their way in the three years since they reached the Asian Cup final in Australia, where the disappointment of an extra-time defeat to the hosts was softened by optimism over the side’s potential.

German Uli Stielike, who guided them to that 2015 Sydney final, was sacked last June after defeats in Iran, China and Qatar left South Korea’s hopes of reaching the World Cup finals hanging by a thread.

Shin took over for the final two qualifiers and while he cajoled the side over the line with a pair of nervy 0-0 draws, the Koreans grabbed an automatic spot only as other results went their way, raising fears they would be embarrassed at the World Cup.

Listless defeats to Russia and Morocco in October friendlies heightened the sense of panic in Korea to such an extent that 2002 coach Guus Hiddink was even being touted as a possible saviour.

But just as the demands that the popular Dutchman take the reins for Russia were building into a groundHis South Korea’s national soccer team player Koo Jacheol attends a training session for the upcoming 2018 Russia World Cup at National Football Center in Paju, South Korea on May 23. South Korea will compete in the Group F at the 2018 FIFA Russia World Cup with

Germany, Mexico and Sweden. (AP) positional awareness and explosive pace gives Spurs a real threat from the left wing, and the decision to spend around 22 million pounds ($30.78 million) to sign him from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 looks like money incredibly well spent.

On the international stage, however, Son does not have such an illustrious cast to work with and is typically marked heavily by opposition defences, forcing him to come deeper and deeper in search of the ball.

Son, who has also been deployed as a lone striker for the national team on several occasions, can drift in and out of games when South Korea are starved of possession, struggling to make an impact on the periphery.

He has a decent international scoring record, claiming 20 goals from 61 appearances, but does not exert the same kind of influence on games as Park, whose lungbusting runs up and down the flanks offered both attacking opportunities and defensive stability for the Koreans at three World Cups.

Son enjoyed his first taste of the World Cup four years ago in Brazil, scoring in a 4-2 defeat to Algeria as South Korea limped out in the first round, and will be determined to help restore their reputation with a good showing in Russia.

He may have another reason for wanting the world to remember his name this summer: the 25-year-old has yet to complete his mandatory 21 months in the South Korean military, an obligation he must begin before he is 27, according to Korean law.