‘Meaningless exhibition game? NO’ Klinsmann says Vietnam is a potential Asian Cup opponent, but needs to play tight defense

Jürgen Klinsmann’s men will need to overcome a dense defense against Vietnam.

Jürgen Klinsmann’s South Korea men’s national soccer team is set to face Vietnam in its second October A match on Sunday at the Suwon World Cup Stadium.

Klinsmann has been in a good mood lately. After sub-par performances against Wales and Saudi Arabia in September’s A matches, South Korea rebounded with a 4-0 win over Tunisia at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sept. 13. Lee Kang-in scored a brace and Tunisia’s Yassine Meria scored an own goal. Substitute Hwang Eui-jo added a late goal.

Next up for the Klinsmanns is Vietnam. The Vietnamese are an objectively stronger team than South Korea. South Korea is ranked 26th by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the third highest among Asian nations, while Vietnam is ranked 95th. The head-to-head record is also in favor of South Korea, with six wins, four draws, and one loss.안전놀이터

Although Vietnam is weaker than South Korea, this is by no means an unimportant match. Vietnam will compete in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup next January. They are drawn in Group D with Japan, Indonesia, and Iraq. This is a great opportunity to prepare for the Asian Cup.

Only Japan, Iran, and Australia have a history of success at the Asian Cup. The rest of the teams are objectively worse than South Korea. These teams are likely to focus on defense against South Korea. Vietnam can also focus on defense in this matchup. It’s a great opportunity to study how to break through a tight defense against a country like Vietnam.

Klinsmann is also wary of Vietnam. In his pre-match press conference, he said, “I don’t think they are a weak opponent at all. Depending on where we finish in the Asian Cup group, we could meet them in the round of 16. We could also meet them in the third qualifying round of the World Cup. It can be a learning process to know how to play them and prepare for them.”