Korea Republic vs Thailand
Korea Republic are set to host the first of their back-to-back World Cup Asian Qualifiers against Thailand in the upcoming international break.
This will be the first time SBOTOP football fans and the rest of the football world will see the Taeguk Warriors in action since firing Jurgen Klinsmann, who was able to lead the weathered Korean squad all the way to the semifinals of the recent AFC Asian Cup.
The upcoming World Cup qualifying games will not only start the post-Klinsmann era, but it will also be the start of Hwang Sun-hong’s stint as the interim head coach for the Taeguk Warriors. So, expect a spirited effort from the Korean outfit as they come into the tie as the World Cup Asian Qualifiers 2024 odds favourites.
Meanwhile, Thailand are currently the second seed in Group C, and they are keen to get China off their backs in the standings. The two outfits are tied with three total points and are only separated by goal difference.
China are set for back-to-back bouts against the lowly Singapore outfit, who are still without a point and are in last place in the competitive Group C. This puts more pressure on Masatada Ishii and the rest of Thailand to garner as many points as possible against the mighty Taeguk Warriors.
Talking Points
Taeguk Warriors sack Jurgen Klinsmann after semifinal exit from the Asian Cup
The Taeguk Warriors are one of the best and most decorated clubs in all of Asia, which is why their semifinal exit in the recent AFC Asian Cup got a lot of fans scratching their heads. Korea Republic took a proactive approach after their humbling 2-0 loss to Jordan, and proceeded to sack their head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann.
The former USMNT boss was sacked by the Korea Football Association just less than 12 months after landing the job with the Taeguk Warriors. The 59-year-old tactician was the man at the helm for the Korean side for 18 matches, winning eight, drawing seven, and losing three.
Klinsmann was already under the microscope and under perpetual criticism even before the AFC Asian Cup began. His decision to remain in California during his stint with the Taeguk Warriors received immense backlash from Korean fans and the media.
The president of the Korean Football Association, Chung Mong-gyu, stated: “Coach Klinsmann failed to demonstrate the coaching ability and leadership that we expect from a coach of the Korean national team, such as game management, player management, and work attitude that lead to the national team’s competitiveness.”
“The national soccer team is more than just a sports team; it is a team that represents the Republic of Korea in name and reality, garnering the attention and support of the people and returning that energy to the people. This must continue to be the case.”
Now, the Taeguk Warriors will lean on Hwang Sun-hong to lead the star-studded team during the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. The U-23 Korean national team manager, Hwang Sun-hong
“I agonised greatly upon receiving the offer for cooperation from the National Team Committee, but I made the decision with the intention to be of some help in this difficult situation,” Hwang exclaimed.
Thailand need to garner points to fend off China
Thailand will clash with Korea Republic twice this international break, and they need to garner as many points as they can if they want to set themselves apart from the convincing China outfit, which has also tallied three points in Group C thus far.
Masatada Ishii and his outfit are faring well against their Asian rivals this term, as they thrashed Singapore in their second game in the World Cup qualifiers and then proceeded to go on a convincing run in the AFC Asian Cup. Thailand went undefeated in the AFC Asian Cup group stages and reached the Round of 16, only to be halted by Uzbekistan with a 2-1 defeat.
Now, Theerathon Bunmathan and the rest of his teammates will put their focus back in the World Cup qualifiers, but they can’t afford to slack off even a little bit, as they’ll go against one of the football juggernauts in Asia. But head coach Masatada Ishii is more than confident that his outfit will produce winning World Cup Asian Qualifiers 2024 results in the upcoming international break.
“We know South Korea are one of Asia’s top teams so our target in the two matches against them is to get as many points as we can,” Thailand head coach Ishii stated.
“South Korea have just changed their coach after having some internal problems, so it will be difficult to predict how they will play. Our job is to focus on ourselves, train well, and be ready for both matches.”
History
These proud Asian nations have only met each other on the field twice since 2022. Korea Republic have won both of said games and are keen on extending their winning streak against Thailand in their back-to-back bouts in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Their most recent match was a friendly back in 2016 at Suphachalasai National Stadium, where the Taeguk Warriors stole a victory in front of the roaring Thai fans. Suk Hyun-jun scored an early opener, which was enough to secure them the 0-1 win.
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