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Hiddink `` The Defense Is The Key``

Posted July. 28, 2001 08:55,   

한국어

Guus Hiddink (55) is now entering the second level of training strategy for Korean national soccer team.

Hiddink was in ``the mock-up stage to analyze the Korean soccer so far; however, it is time for Hiddink to decide the ``best 11``, posting the best player on each position.

As a matter of fact, Hiddink emphasized that the competition among players. But he did not change players for certain position, which implied Hiddink’s almost absolute trust on some players: Hang Sun-Hong and Kim Do-Hun as foremost front strikers, You Sang-Chul as a side striker, Ko Jong-Sou as a left center offensive mid-filelder, Lee Young-Pyo and Park Ji-Soung as defensive mid-fielders, Hong Myoung-Bo and Lee Min-Sung as center defense.

Except these positions, Hiddink posted different players on each position alternatively; and it is said that Hiddink was not quite satisfied with them. Especially the position of right center offensive mid-fielder and left defensive players was the ``Achilles Tendon`` for the team.

In short, the national soccer team is weak in defense and mid-field play. This is why Kim Doo-Kun, Lee Eul-Young, Chun Woo-Kun, Han Jong-Sung (mid-fielders) and Kim Joung-Soo and Youn Hee-Jun (good defensive players) are included in the new list of the national soccer team.

However, all positions, over all, do not seem to be perfect. And this might be why Hiddink says that `` the mock-up stage`` will not be over until the beginning of next year.

Hiddink still wants to search and reserve good players for positions.

Specially, it is notable that there are many young new faces in the national team such as Choi Tae-Wook, Lee Chun-soo and Kim Joong- Soo. The new list seems to reflect Hiddink’s philosophy that it is important for the players to have good skill in both defense and offense and physical endurance for 90-minitue games without rest.

There is analysis that Hiddink had ruled out Kou Joung-Sou because he wants to tame Koo Joung-Sou who was treated as a prince of the team. Hiddink might have wanted to give Koo Joung-Soo a psychological stimulus.

Meanwhile, some professionals said that Hiddink might test the possibility of the 3-4-3 or 4-3-3 formation rather than 4-4-2 formation.

Yet some are concerned about Hiddink’s strategy, saying that Hiddink’s mock-up stage is too long. Responding to this concern, the national team’s couch Park Hang Soe said ``we called Japan players to the national team too often; this is why we did not call them this time. But the best members are roughly decided; and the announced new list is to search for the new possibility for the several weak positions.``



yjongk@donga.com