Do you still remember the last time Kim Shin-wook scored in a fierce confrontation? No need to look up past records, but if not for the penalty kick, Kim Shin-wook's attack in the penalty area, which was like a turning point, seems to have faded away.
As the key "1" in the 3+1 lineup, Kim Shin-wook has the starting spot in his pocket as long as he stays healthy. He deserves and must be a decisive piece in Shenhua's offense system. Unfortunately, after five rounds of the league, Jin Xin Yu is still in the process of figuring things out, as if he is a newcomer to the game.
The era of Kim Shin-wook scoring goals with his head has been seen a lot by our fans, so I won't repeat it here. However, in the competitive environment of the Chinese Super League, how to defend against Shenhua's overhead kicks is undoubtedly the key. Pushing the taller player outward and limiting his jumping are seemingly basic but practical strategies that Chinese Super League teams have repeatedly used against Kim Shin-wook, making the South Korean winger's high point advantage no longer obvious, and he seems to lack Moreno's ability to show off his amazing jumping ability at critical moments.
But as a center forward with a great reputation in Asia, can Kim Shin-wook merely scramble for the top? He's able to head a cross from a non-goal area, he's able to divert after drawing the defense in, and he's able to rely on his body to power through low crosses. Kim Shin-wook's skills are much more than that, but at Shenhua, we rarely see him play with such a calm demeanor.
That's not to say he's not committed enough, as in today's game against Changchun, where both teams were scrambling, breaking up plays, and rushing with the ball. Everyone on the soccer field needs to be blue collar, but that doesn't mean just scrambling is enough. The real advantage of a strong team against a weak team lies in the precise passing of the ball to the open space, in the fast forward reception, and in the reasonable layout of the attacking point. Unfortunately, Shenhua has lacked this kind of strong team temperament recently, and Kim Shin-wook's presence has become very weak as a result.
It wasn't until the last few minutes of the game that Kim Shin-wook's header pass showed his worth, and with Bi Jin-ho grabbing the shot without hesitation, we really saw the Korean center forward in action. But their cooperation was only a temporary tactical adjustment by Choi Kang-hee, not the team's main idea.
