Tomorrow, the East Asian Cup 2022 will be unveiled, and just before the tournament, an online press conference was held as expected. South Korean coach Paulo Bento made a high-profile declaration of his determination to defend his title, proudly saying, "Our national team has written a brilliant chapter in the East Asian Cup."
Looking back at the past three editions of the East Asian Cup, South Korea have won the title and Paulo Bento was the leader of the last edition. Facing this challenge, he revealed, "Compared to the preparations for 2019, this time we are under more time pressure as the K-League is running at the same time. However, we will still give it our best to try to make another success."
The East Asian Cup is not an official FIFA tournament, so it was not possible to invite players who play in Europe, such as Son. Coach Bento then used K-League players as his main players. In the conference, the issue of the gap between Asian and European soccer was also mentioned. Coach Bento responded, "Asian soccer is not comparable to European soccer, it is two very different soccer systems, no need to compare. Comparison is not the best option."
This East Asian Cup is not only a final sprint opportunity for players hoping to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, but also the ultimate battleground for coach Paulo Bento to conduct tactical experiments. He said, "There are differences in this tournament and preparation compared to 2019, and it is a good time for newcomers and veterans to prepare together.
