SEOUL– As the top-ranked men’s football team in the world, Brazil will come at you from many different angles on the attack, with Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar and Real Madrid’s young sensation Vinicius Junior leading the way.
But the Selecao aren’t just about their offense. PSG captain Marquinhos and seasoned Chelsea veteran Thiago Silva are among Brazil’s defensive stalwarts, and they will try to shut down hosts South Korea when they go toe-to-toe in a friendly match here Thursday night.
And South Korean forward Hwang Ui-jo said Wednesday he is eager for the challenge.
“We will try to play the same way we’ve been playing all along,” Hwang said in an online press conference on the eve of the match, which will kick off at 8 p.m. Thursday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. It is the first of four friendlies for South Korea in June, with Chile, Paraguay and Egypt coming up next.
“We will try to create as many dangerous moments on offense as we can,” Hwang added. “They have some great players. I’ve faced some of them (in the top French league). But I think we should be able to create scoring opportunities.”
Hwang may be talking the talk, but he hasn’t been able to walk the walk of late when it comes to scoring goals.
For his French club, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Hwang netted 11 goals in 32 matches this past season, just one off his team-leading total from the 2020-2021 campaign. However, Hwang managed just one goal in his last 15 matches, as Bordeaux got relegated to the second division.
Hwang has also been in a major drought for the national team. His last goal for South Korea came on June 5, 2021, and he has gone nine matches without finding the back of the net — by far his longest scoreless streak since Paulo Bento took over the reins in August 2018.
Hwang remains South Korea’s leading scorer during Bento’s tenure, with 13 goals in 33 games. That probably says more about the lack of scoring depth for South Korea than Hwang’s own struggles. Still, Hwang will have to step up his game, especially with Son Heung-min, the reigning Premier League Golden Boot winner, expected to draw most of attention from opposing defenders.
“From my personal perspective and the club’s point of view, it was not a satisfying season,” Hwang said. “But I will have to concentrate on recovering and getting ready to play these four matches.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency