Son Heung-health min’s has taken centre stage in South Korea over the past three weeks, and it’s still unclear whether he’ll be available for their World Cup opening game against Uruguay.
Despite the success they are having on the field, Uruguay’s preparation has been in disarray since Tabarez was fired as manager after serving in the position for 15 years. Although Alonso has completely changed a team that was on the brink of collapse after some appalling performances in South American qualifying, he still isn’t sure of his best starting XI or best system.
After four straight losses, including a demeaning 4-1 loss in Brazil and a 3-0 loss away in the surprisingly hard altitude of Bolivia, Tabarez was fired as manager with his qualification in serious doubt.
Luis Suarez continued to be the driving force behind everything positive for the national team, but with 4 qualifying games left after the new year, Alonso took over and managed to win all 4, with impressive away victories against Chile and Paraguay serving as the highlights.
He is still unsure of the best formation for his team, though, as both the 4-3-2-1 and the 4-4-2 have seen extensive use but have not yet been tested against formidable opposition. The finer points won’t matter, though, as long as they continue to play this well both offensively and defensively, as they have only given up 2 goals in his 9 games as head coach.
It will be crucial to make the most of Uruguay’s diverse array of attacking options, including Suarez, Darwin Nunez, Edinson Cavani, and Maxi Gomez, who have all helped Uruguay score goals this season, averaging 2 goals per game.
They are aiming to become world champions, as Alonso repeatedly stated prior to the competition, and based on their current performance, they cannot be ruled out.
South Korea, on the other hand, enters the contest with a manager who is under fire as well as a squad that struggled in the months prior to Qatar. The worst-case scenario also occurred for the team the night before the match when Son Heung-min was hurt in the Champions League and required surgery to fix a fractured eye socket.
Without him, Korea won’t be quite as solid tactically or mentally, so he has made a vow to go to any extents to play. If manager Paulo Bento makes a decision to risk him straight away, also there is a possibility that he won’t be at peak fitness due to his disruptive tournament preparation.
It will be harder for their dependable defence to play well with their attacking star out, but they have already shown they can be counted on by giving up just 3 goals in their ten AFC final stage qualifiers. Despite their well-known victory over Germany in Russia, they suffered excruciating defeats to Mexico and Sweden, which led to their elimination at the group stage. Once more, they are in a group of players who are fiercely competitive, and if they want to advance, they will need to pull at least one surprise.
Uruguay Team News
Diego Godin might be brought in to fill in alongside his former partner Jose Maria Gimenez as Ronald Araujo may not be risked for Uruguay in this group opener due to the Barcelona defender’s quick return to training following a thigh operation. Having played in many of the international matches under the new manager, Sergio Rochet recently replaced Fernando Muslera, who had been a starter for more than 13 years. Manager Alonso must now make a choice in goal.
Nunez will only start out wide due to Suarez’s undroppable stature up front, so the formation he opts for will have a significant impact on the team selection. Cavani is anticipated to be a substitute because Facundo Pellistri and De Arrascaeta are preferred by the manager to start in attack alongside Suarez.
Uruguay possible starting lineup:
Rochet; Varela, Diego Godin, Gimenez, Olivera; Bentancur, Vecino, Valverde; De Arrascaeta, Luiz Suarez, Darwin Nunez
Player to watch
Luiz Suarez
After transferring to Nacional, Suarez may no longer be the bane of European defences, but he has continued to enjoy success, leading his hometown team to the Uruguayan championship. His next move appears to be the MLS, and in Qatar, he will be looking to make a name for himself by putting on some of his customary fiery performances. Suarez needs just one more goal to tie Oscar Miguez’s World Cup record of eight goals for an Uruguayan.
South Korea Team News
There are still questions regarding Son’s level of fitness and preparation, despite his declaration that he will gladly “take a risk” in order to participate when he is needed at this World Cup.
Kim Min-jae performed admirably for Fenerbahce. Also participating in every qualification game and making a significant contribution to their outstanding defensive record. His Napoli team is currently sweeping both the Serie A and the Champions League, and he is currently performing the same at the highest level.
However, Bento is still criticised for his method of play because Korea are frequently deemed to be too conservative, and this is attributed to the manager’s decision to not select many imaginative players for his team. Lee Kang-in is another one of those players who has shown his creative ability with Real Mallorca this season, but Bento don’t utilise him, often to the dismay of the fans.
South Korea possible starting lineup:
Kim Seung-gyu; Kim Moon-hwan, Kim Young-gwon, Min-jae, Kim Jin-su; Woo-Young, Hwang In-beom, Lee Jae-sung; Hwang Hee-chan, Son Heung-min, Hwang Ui-jo
Player to watch
Son Heung-min
Son’s failure to start wearing the mask he has been using since arriving in Qatar for training seems inconceivable. If he succeeds in finding the goal in the 2022 tournament, the 30-year-old could join Park Ji-sung as the only other Koreans to score in three different World Cups. His club play for Tottenham hasn’t been great so far in 2022–23; in 1,499 minutes of competitive play, he’s only registered five goals and two assists, with 3 of those goals coming inside one match against Leicester City back in September. Even so, as a talismanic member of the South Korea team, anticipate more from him during this World Cup.
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