South Korean players walk off the field after a 1-1 draw against Palestine in the teams' Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Amman International Stadium in Amman on Nov. 19, Tuesday. (Yonhap)
South Korea passed the halfway point in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification tournament on Tuesday in Jordan the same way they started it two months ago: a draw against Palestine.
With four matches remaining, the Taegeuk Warriors are still comfortably leading Group B with 14 points from four wins and two draws, six clear of Jordan and Iraq before the end of their matches Tuesday, despite some lingering lineup questions. The top two teams from the group at the conclusion of the round will qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
South Korea, ranked 22nd, settled for a 1-1 draw against 100th-ranked Palestine at Amman International Stadium in Amman on Tuesday, with the Jordanian capital serving as the neutral venue for war-torn Palestine.
South Korea's four wins had come in succession after the first draw against Palestine, and they had outscored their opponents 11-4 during the winning streak before Palestine held them for the second time.
South Korea had difficulty finding much space in the face of determined and physical Palestine defense Tuesday, but looking at the bigger picture, there are some positive elements to take away from the first six matches of the third round.
Young players with little to no prior international experience capitalized on their opportunities. Forward Oh Se-hun scored in two straight matches before Tuesday, while winger ae Jun-ho contributed a goal and two assists in three matches prior to the Palestine match. They each have just six caps, after Oh earned his third straight start and Bae came off the bench on Tuesday.
And 30-something veterans have done their part, too, led by captain Son Heung-min.
After missing South Korea's two matches in October due to a hamstring injury, the 32-year-old marked his return with a goal against Kuwait last week. Then on Tuesday, Son scored another goal, his 51st international marker that gave him sole possession of second place on South Korea's all-time list. He sits seven back of the leader, Cha Bum-kun.
Lee Jae-sung, also 32, has scored twice so far in the third round and has been a workhorse as the team's No. 1 option as central attacking midfielder, creating opportunities for his teammates and helping out on the defensive end when needed.
Lee assisted Son's goal to complete a deft tic-tac-toe play. As the match progressed, however, South Korea struggled to find much breathing room against physical and dogged Palestine defense.
Elsewhere on the team, Hwang In-beom and Park Yong-woo have been rocks as defensive midfielders, with Hwang even showing off his playmaking chops with a pair of assists against Kuwait last week and with promising passes against Palestine on Tuesday. Park effectively covered Hwang's back whenever his partner was engaged offensively.
On defense, Cho Yu-min has become the go-to partner for Kim Min-jae in central defense. Coach Hong used two different partners in the first two matches for Kim, South Korea's top center back in the 4-2-3-1 formation, before starting Cho next to the Bayern Munich defender in four consecutive matches.
For fullback positions on either side, Hong has been selecting inexperienced players over the past two months in search of the right mix.
Hong seems to have found the pair to his liking, with Seol Young-woo and Lee Myung-jae starting as right and left fullbacks for the fifth straight match Tuesday.
Their partnership began on Sept. 10 against Oman, after Seol started on the left and Hwang Mun-ki played on the right against Palestine five days earlier.
Hong's decision not to tinker with his defensive lineup, all the while making a few changes made up front, is a curious one, because familiarity for the Lee-Kim-Cho-Seol quartet has only led to mixed results.
South Korea have conceded five goals in six matches so far, with their defenders getting caught ball watching on counterattack opportunities and leaving opponents open in dangerous spots on set pieces. Then there was the silly turnover Tuesday, with Kim Min-jae's back pass to goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo being intercepted by Zeid Qunbar for the opening goal in the 12th minute.
South Korea, as the top-ranked team in the group at No. 22, shouldn't be allowing nearly a goal per match against teams with little attacking quality.
Hong, widely considered one of the greatest defenders in South Korean football history, has not publicly raised issues with his team's defense. In Tuesday's postmatch press conference, Hong cited the team's inability to capitalize on scoring chances as one key area of improvement.
"Over a short period of time, we have developed several options to create scoring opportunities," Hong said. "However, we have had trouble finishing our chances whenever opponents set up a low block like Palestine did today. We have to be better in that area."
Cho Yu-min, the center back partner for Kim Min-jae, refused to put the Palestine goal solely on his teammate.
"It wasn't just due to the mistake of one player. We were not sharp as a team in the moments that led to that goal," Cho told reporters in the mixed zone, while Kim declined to speak to the media. "We wanted to have a clean sheet today and since we have more matches coming up, we have to keep improving."
Cho denied that South Korea suffered lapses of concentration on defense in the second half, saying it was merely the case of multiple defenders moving up the field in pursuit of a go-ahead goal.
Cho also said Kim remains the defensive leader of the team, his uncharacteristic miscue notwithstanding.
"We have to follow his lead and work on controlling our line and defend the space behind us," Cho said. "Personally, I want to play with more confidence and focus on things that I can do well."
Midfielder Hwang In-beom agreed with Cho that conceding goals is never about one player. (Yonhap)
"When we get stripped of the ball in the attacking zone, we have to be more aggressive in our transition," Hwang said. "Mistakes don't happen only on the defensive end. We all have to be on the same page."
MOST POPULAR