Klinsmann’s men face Saudi Arabia in the worst possible situation.
Jürgen Klinsmann’s men’s national team will face Saudi Arabia in an exhibition match at St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England, on Wednesday. It’s the second of two away A matches in Europe. The previous match was a 0-0 draw against Wales.
South Korean soccer is winless in five games under Klinsmann. This is the first time since the introduction of the full-time manager system in 1992 that Klinsmann has gone five games without a win.
Above all, Klinsmann’s demeanor has been controversial.
From working from home to appearing on foreign broadcasts to attending countless personal events, including the UEFA Champions League group stage draw. His inclusion on the rosters of Bayern Munich (Germany) and Chelsea (England) for the Legends Match during the A-Match has only increased the criticism. First, the Korean Football Association said he was “not playing”.
The team has been playing poorly, scoring just four goals in five games despite calling for “attacking soccer”. He scored three goals in two A matches in March, when he was still wearing the colors of Paulo Bento, and one goal in the next three matches. Even with two Ballon d’Or contenders in Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), the team is playing colorless football.
“I would say it’s a process, and I think it’s a good opportunity to check the players before the 2026 North American World Cup qualifiers in November and the Asian Cup in Qatar early next year,” Klinsmann said.
The game against Saudi Arabia is important for both the process and the result.
However, the preparation was not easy. Initially, the team was scheduled to train in London, rather than Newcastle, due to a scheduling conflict with Mexico. The distance between London and Newcastle is about 450 kilometers. The day before the game, the team had to travel to Newcastle on a chartered flight organized by Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is ranked 54th in the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). It’s lower than South Korea at 28th, but it’s fifth among Asian countries, just behind South Korea 카지노사이트.
They upset champions Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but have not won since. They suffered four consecutive defeats in A matches in January and March. They hired Italian mastermind Roberto Mancini, but have lost their last five matches in a row, including a 1-0 loss to Costa Rica.
The head-to-head record is four wins, seven draws and six losses in favor of South Korea. The most recent meeting was a 0-0 draw in a December 2018 trial.