A controversy over the replacement of Brazil's goalkeeper has sparked a furor in the Korean social circle. The emotions of many netizens erupted like a volcano, with some outspokenly calling it an offensive farce. More impassioned voices accused Brazil of a lack of respect for South Korea. Referring to the heated battle between Germany and Brazil, the stoicism of the German goalkeeper throughout the match seemed to be a counterpoint to Brazil's behavior on this occasion. However, in the court of public opinion among Korean netizens, the disrespectful words towards Brazil were all over the place, with few mentioning Brazil's impropriety, but some with a hint of self-deprecation, hinting at the Korean team's own shortcomings.
Throughout the game, the gap between Korea and Brazil seemed like an insurmountable chasm. From the strikers to the midfield to the defenders, Korea was suppressed by Brazil in all aspects. Korea's head coach Paulo has expressed his dissatisfaction with FIFA's unfair arrangement, however, facing the world-class powerhouse Brazil, the Korean team seems to have no choice but to accept the disparity in strength. The Brazilian players obviously will not take the criticism of the Korean netizens to heart.
There were even authorities from European soccer who questioned Neymar's disrespectful behavior. Neymar easily deceived the keeper to win the penalty kick with his physical superiority, while the South Korean keeper tried to counter by psychological warfare but failed. As a soccer superstar, Neymar's behavior sparked widespread discussion.
Admittedly, the gap in strength is obvious. Despite South Korea's uniqueness in Asian soccer, Son's play looked out of reach against the world's top teams. At the same time, South Korea may also lack the credentials to criticize other national teams for disrespect, recalling the controversy of the World Cup in Korea and Japan 20 years ago, which still leaves Portuguese and Italian fans disdainful.
For the World Cup off-court clamor, fans may just smile, because the final result still depends on the strength of the team. For Chinese fans, this is undoubtedly a tragedy, as the Chinese men's soccer team did not even make it to the World Cup. If the Chinese men's soccer team can compete with Brazil, the Chinese fans may not even pay attention to the hiccup of replacing the No. 3 goalkeeper. South Korea's World Cup journey is over, and unfortunately, so is their reputation on the Internet.
So, what are your thoughts on this matter? Feel free to share them in the comments section.
