60-second dossier: South Korea short of striker needed to emulate Class of '02
Lack of quality front-man could prove Asian side's undoing this summer...
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South Korea's bite has to be better than their bark. In qualifying, they eked through on goal difference ahead of Uzbekistan, finishing behind shout-off rivals Iran.
Then-Korea boss Choi-Kang Hee vowed to "defeat Iran no matter what", before he and Carlos Queiroz traded verbal insults. Hee, of course, didn't win and was sacked. Now it's the turn of legendary former skipper Hong Myung-Bo to lead his nation into battle in Brazil – but this team won't be emulating his 2002 side's achievements. Goals come at a premium, not helped by a lack of quality striker, although a strong European-based midfield gives them a fighting chance to make it out of Group H. In Bayer Leverkusen's Son Heung-Min they have a real difference-maker.
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Joe was the Deputy Editor at FourFourTwo until 2022, having risen through the FFT academy and been on the brand since 2013 in various capacities.
By weekend and frustrating midweek night he is a Leicester City fan, and in 2020 co-wrote the autobiography of former Foxes winger Matt Piper – subsequently listed for both the Telegraph and William Hill Sports Book of the Year awards.
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