The scheduled two matches for the South Korean national football team in March have concluded.
Although it wasn't the best outcome, I consider it fortunate that we avoided the worst.
Under the interim leadership of Hwang Sun-hong, the football team secured a 1-1 draw and a 3-0 victory against Thailand in the two consecutive matches.
The irony lies in the fact that while we drew at home in Sangam World Cup Stadium, we achieved a significant victory away in Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium.
To briefly discuss the matches, I believe the overall game content was decent compared to what was expected.
If we were to assess the game content in the Sangam match, it wasn't necessarily poor.
We had possession of the ball for a significant amount of time, dictating the game for long periods.
However, there were too many mistakes made during the Sangam match, which I believe is partly due to infrastructure issues.
Although I didn't attend the match personally, just watching it on television, it was evident that the condition of the grass at Sangam Stadium was concerning.
On the other hand, the grass condition in Bangkok was excellent.
It looked as if it had just been laid yesterday—clean and pristine.
The condition of the grass inevitably affects the gameplay, and this particularly impacts top-tier players.
The longer we possess the ball, the more time our ball spends moving across the grass.
The condition of the grass serves as a variable; the worse it is, the more significant the variable, and conversely, the better it is, the fewer variables there are.
Naturally, with more variables, the likelihood of executing our planned game decreases.
In other words, if the grass isn't in good condition, the game itself tends to become homogenized.
Of course, this doesn't excuse the draw at Sangam.
However, personally, I felt that the result didn't match the displayed gameplay.
While there were various factors at play, the condition of the grass was likely one of them.
Nevertheless, the South Korean national team managed to secure one win and one draw, which isn't a bad outcome.
I'd like to extend my gratitude to interim coach Hwang Sun-hong.
Despite the somewhat gloomy atmosphere, he managed to achieve decent results.
Furthermore, he conducted interviews before and after the matches without causing any controversy.
During such times, it's natural to become sensitive to matters outside of football, but thankfully, everything went smoothly.
Now, I hope he focuses on the U23 national team and aims for Olympic qualification.
Regarding the Korea Football Association (KFA), there were still many issues surrounding the association.
Before the home match at Sangam, Lee Kang-in issued a public apology.
At least now, people and public opinion can stop the unreasonable criticisms towards Lee Kang-in.
In truth, if it was something he wanted to do personally, there's not much to say about it.
However, even then, I see a problem with the atmosphere that led to him making the apology in the first place.
Naturally, this is the responsibility of the KFA.
The role that the Korea Football Association should play is to envision the future under the core goal of promoting the development of South Korean football and lead the present.
Among the many tasks they should undertake, one of them is nurturing and protecting the South Korean national football team.
Right now, they're not fulfilling that role at all.
In an era where freedom of the press is guaranteed, the media always seeks targets for attack.
It's natural because it generates revenue.
So, should they just sit back and be attacked?
Of course not.
Even celebrities are protected by their agencies.
Politicians align themselves with parties, and businesspeople set up response teams within their companies.
Among sports stars, many superstars have companies set up to protect themselves from the media and public opinion.
However, most players can't do that.
In such cases, who should protect these players?
It's the organizations they belong to—clubs in their club teams and associations in national teams.
But KFA seems to be neglecting the media and even encouraging it.
Even when the media asks who fought, those who should be saying it's no big deal are the ones who broadcast it nationwide and worldwide, saying, "They fought."
Nowadays, even most casual football fans seem to know enough, which is somewhat fortunate.
In Sangam, there were criticisms of the association, and demands for the resignation of Chung Mong-gyu were strong.
I don't know how much of an impact this will have, but I believe it's necessary to continue voicing these opinions.
I hope there won't be much to write about the football association in the future.
In reality, fewer news articles about an association like this are better.
You can see this with the Archery Association, known for doing well in Korea's sports sector.
Since sports focus should be on players and sports teams, not on administrative matters, it's not a good sign when attention is diverted to administrative issues.
I hope the South Korean national football team does well until the next World Cup.
