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| South Korea head coach Paulo Bento watches his team in action. (Photo from MK) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] SEOUL: Though South Korea managed just one goal against Lebanon in their latest World Cup qualifying victory, head coach Paulo Bento still liked what he saw from his starting XI. "It was a fair victory. We controlled most part of the match," Bento said after Cho Gue-sung's goal lifted South Korea to a 1-0 win in Group A action during the final Asian qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Thursday in Lebanon.
We just scored one goal but we had more opportunities to finish the game a little bit earlier," Bento said. "I'd like to congratulate the players on their performance and attitude." Bento stuck with his 11 players and did not make any substitution -- the first time the South Korean senior men's team played an entire match without a sub since October 2006. And Bento had good reasons not to juggle his lineup. The new forward partners, Hwang Ui-jo and Cho Gue-sung, combined for the goal. The backline held down the fort while playing on a bumpy field at Saida International Stadium in Sidon, south of Beirut.
The fickle weather conditions saw intermittent showers followed by a rainbow in the second half. Defensive midfielder Jung Woo-young said he and his teammates tried not to worry about things outside their control.
