Clinsman takes two days less time off than Australia's quarterfinal opponent, and recovery is key

South Korea beat Saudi Arabia 1-1 in the round of 16 of the tournament at Education City Stadium in Alayyan, Qatar, on the 31st, after a penalty shootout.

Although they won, the future schedule is not favorable. Australia, which will meet in the quarterfinals, has been relaxing after winning 4-0 against Indonesia in the round of 16 without overtime on the 28th.

On the other hand, Korea had a round of 16 match only two days later on Thursday. Moreover, in the round of 16 match against Saudi Arabia, extra time and a penalty shootout continued. Korea, which relies heavily on key players such as Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in, is now burdened by exhaustion of physical strength.

As a result, recovery of physical stamina has emerged as a challenge ahead of the quarterfinal match against Australia, which will take place at 12:30 a.m. on March 3. Australia is a team that puts pressure on its opponent based on physical conditions and strong physical strength. If the team falls behind in strength under this circumstance, it could lose without even having a proper match.

For this reason, it was found that Korea was reluctant to rank second in the group from the beginning. Taking two days off is obviously a disadvantageous factor, and Korea tried to avoid the schedule, but ended up accepting the unwanted schedule as it tied with Malaysia in the third group match.

"I wanted to rank No. 1 in the group to take more rest days," manager Jürgen Klinsmann told reporters after his win over Saudi Arabia. Many people asked if he ranked second in the group to avoid Japan, but that is not true. I had to accept his schedule as I ranked second in the group."

Klinsmann acknowledged that his schedule was unfavorable but pinned his hopes on players' determination. "It's a long time for Australia to take 53 hours off than us. We even had a penalty shootout at 120 minutes today. However, I expect today's win to give the team positive energy," he said.

Players will also focus on recovering their physical stamina. "I wish I had some free time, but I will recover well and prepare well for the rest of the time," said Cho Hyun-woo, the goalie who led the team to victory in the penalty shootout against Saudi Arabia. "I think mental is an important game in soccer. I will forget today's game and prepare for the next game." 토토사이트 추천

Side defender Seol Young-woo said he would display his fighting spirit. "I am so desperate for this position," he said. "The mind takes over the body. I keep running even if it's hard to keep this position."