AFC Asian Cup: South Korea on a roll, Jurgen Klinsmann says as semi-final offers path to first title in 64 years
- Koreans take on Jordan in Tuesday’s first semi-final in Qatar having needed injury-time goals in four of their five matches in the tournament so far
- Coach says ‘confidence is there because we came through difficult games’ en route to the last four
Jurgen Klinsmann continues to smile serenely as the pressure grows on his South Korea side the closer they edge towards the country’s first Asian Cup title since 1960, the German exuding an air of composure and calm ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final against Jordan in Doha.
The 59-year-old has been a lightning rod for criticism due to a perceived lack of coaching quality since his appointment last year, but the 1990 World Cup winner understands the burden of expectation on his players as they look to end a hoodoo that goes back 64 years.
Seven times previously the Koreans have reached the semi-finals without adding to their two Asian Cup titles and, while the meeting with Lhoussaine Ammouta’s side will be a test for Klinsmann’s side, he is confident his team have grown sufficiently to end the drought.
“I always believe that once you get on a roll in a tournament, once you get the first couple of games out of the way, you build more and more confidence and now the confidence is there because we came through difficult games, with the dramatic moments,” Klinsmann said.
“It turns into something very positive. You are proud where you are now and you want to do so badly well for your home country. It goes through phases. It’s very, very psychological. It’s a mental thing.
“A tournament is, first and foremost, mental. You’ve got to build that confidence and be prepared for a marathon and now we’re going towards the end of that marathon and hopefully we can win it all. That’s our goal.”
Resilience has been Korea’s most noteworthy trait throughout the current Asian Cup, scoring injury time goals in four of their five matches to date including against Jordan in the nations’ group stage meeting, when a Yazan Al Arab own goal salvaged a 2-2 draw.
Since then Klinsmann’s side have notched up a penalty shoot-out win over Saudi Arabia in the last 16 after Cho Gue-sung’s levelled in the 99th minute and then eliminated Australia in extra-time in the quarter-finals.
Talismanic Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min dragged his team through to the last four, winning the penalty that Hwang Hee-chan scored in the 96th minute to take the game into extra-time before smashing in the free-kick that ultimately saw the Koreans advance.
That was the second game in succession in which Klinsmann’s side played for 120 minutes and, in addition to the physical toll taken, a second yellow card in five games means Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae will miss the semi-final due to suspension.
The former Napoli centre half, however, has been at the heart of a defence that has struggled throughout the Asian Cup, conceding eight goals in five matches despite Klinsmann making tactical adjustments in an effort to tackle the issue.
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The Jordanians, meanwhile, have fitness concerns over striker Mousa Al Tamara, the influential Montpellier forward having not trained since the 1-0 win over Tajikistan that earned the nation a first-ever appearance in the Asian Cup semi-finals.
Defender Salem Al Ajalin and forward Ali Olwan are ruled out due to suspension after the pair picked up their second yellow cards of the tournament in the quarter-final as the Jordanians seek to eliminate their vaunted opponents.
“Son is such a star and is very impactful but we’ve prepared well in training,” said Jordan midfielder Ibrahim Sadeh. “But we’re willing to stand up and counter any player.”
