The absence of Cho Kyu-sung and Lee Gang-in from the South Korean squad is undoubtedly a big loss. Had Paulo Bento been bold enough to start Cho Kyu-sung, perhaps the outcome of the match would have been very different. With the early support of Chinese Super League stars Kwon Kyung-won and Son Jun-ho, the result would have been even more significant. Despite Paulo Bento's best efforts, this could be his last few matches at the helm of the South Korean team, and he is eager to prove himself with a win.
Looking back at 2002, Portugal lost 0-1 to South Korea, but the South Koreans deserved their performance. They proved their mettle once again in a 2-1 defeat to Spain. The South Korea-Portugal match was uncontested, with Portugal putting in a disappointing performance - and Paulo Bento has since joined Chongqing in the Chinese Super League, showing his strong tactical style and dedication to the game.
Paulo Bento has been able to coach South Korea in part because of the Korean Football Association's fear of homegrown coaches and the poor performances of Hong Myung-bok and Shin Tae-yong. Bento, who demands a relatively low annual salary, was trusted by the KFA at the 2019 Asian Cup, despite South Korea's semifinal defeat to Qatar.
This World Cup, Bento's tactics continue to be centered on Son Heung-yi. However, Sun's injury has allowed Cao Kyu-sung to come into his own, and he demonstrated a high level of tactics against Ghana in a 0-0 draw against Uruguay. Cao Kyu-sung's performance was quite similar to that of Kim Shin-woo in the last World Cup.
The South Korean backline looked solid with Kim Young-chun, Kim Mun-ah and the experienced Kim Pearl. However, during the match, the Korean defense made consecutive mistakes and conceded three goals. Especially after Cho Kyu-sung equalized the score, another goal was scored by Ghana, a mistake that was a disaster.
The match went into injury time and the 10-minute long extra time sparked controversy. At this point, the referee gave the South Korean team a chance, but why didn't he give the South Korean team a chance to continue the corner kick? This penalty has been widely discussed in soccer practice.
After 100 minutes of intense fighting, the Korean players protested. Kim Young-chuen glared angrily while Paulo Bento rushed forward and fiercely blamed the referee. As a result, Bento was red-carded and missed the final match against Portugal. With a draw and a loss, South Korea's exit from the tournament was in jeopardy.