Coach Paulo Bento poses for a commemorative photo with the coaches following a media conference at the National Football Team Training Center (NFC) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on the 7th. From left, coach Kim Young-min, physical coach Pedro Ferreira, head coach Sergio Costa, coach Bento, coach Philippe Cuelho, goalkeeper coach Vitor Silvestre, coach Tae-wook Choi. news
Coach Paulo Bento is determined to do his best to advance to the Qatar World Cup round of 16. To the question of ‘If we beat Portugal, we may be branded as a ‘traitor’ in our country depending on the circumstances,’ he said, “I have a special feeling, but once the match starts, I will play it like any other match. As always, I will choose the best strategy to fight.” he emphasized.
On the 7th, coach Bento held a media conference to settle the final qualifiers and group draws held in the auditorium on the first floor of the main building of Paju NFC. Bentuho advanced to the finals in Group A of the Qatar World Cup Asian final qualifier with 7 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss (23 points). Korea Republic were in Group H along with Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana.
Regarding the result of the group draw, coach Bento predicted, “As is usually the case in the World Cup finals, we are in a difficult group. They are all strong teams. Portugal and Uruguay are most likely to advance to the round of 16.” He continued, “Actually, it’s impossible to be in an easy group in the World Cup,” he said.
He also expressed his candid feelings regarding having to deal with his own country, Portugal. He said, “The mental aspect is obviously different. It’s my first time playing once morest my country. It’s probably going to be a different experience. It’s different from meeting my former team in a club team.” But he vowed, “It doesn’t make a difference just because the opponent is Portugal. We will prepare for all matches equally.”
When asked how he would stop the ace Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), he said, “You can’t be one player to worry regarding. Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world and the best player I’ve ever coached. But all Portuguese players “You have to consider the players. You can’t be vigilant with just one Ronaldo. You have to face the whole team.”
Bento, who took over as the national team manager in August 2018 and continues the record as the longest and most wins coach in history, looked back on how the crisis in the past made the team more developed. He said, “The start wasn’t good. Many people didn’t believe (the national team). In particular, unnecessary problems arose following the first match once morest Iraq (0-0 draw) in the final qualifying round. Second qualifying match once morest Lebanon, North Korea, and friendly match once morest Japan It was a difficult time as well.”
However, coach Bento said, “Thanks to the difficult times, the team developed further, and the coaching staff was able to develop further. Even in difficult moments, I had faith in the way the team was run and the style of play.” “The time we spent together made the team stronger. Good players gave us confidence in our football style. As a manager, I feel good. I’ve come this far thanks to the professional spirit, dedication and good attitude of the players at every call.” said thanks.
Korea will play the group stage once morest Uruguay on November 24 at 10 PM (Korean time), Ghana on November 28 at 10 PM, and Portugal at 0 PM on December 3. The national team plans to prepare for the World Cup by playing evaluation matches in June and September. The specific schedule, such as the partner country, has not been decided yet. Bento pointed out, “The World Cup finals will be different from the preliminary rounds. The opponent will attack more. We have to pay a lot of attention to defense.” When asked how much the entry was confirmed, he said, “The door is always open. As everyone knows, our team has a big frame, but it’s still too early to decide the final entry.”
Dongsoon Choi reporter dosool@hankookilbo.com
