A nine-goal thrashing shows caution instead of joy.
South Korea’s Asian Games team, led by Hwang Sun-hong, cruised to a 9-0 victory over Kuwait in their first Group E match of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games at the Jinhua Sports Center Stadium in Jinhua, China, on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
After taking the lead in the third minute of the first half with a goal from Jeong Woo-young, Korea went on to secure the 9-0 victory with a hat-trick from Jeong, a multi-goal performance from Cho Young-wook, and goals from Baek Seung-ho, Uhm Won-sang, Park Jae-yong, and Ahn Jae-joon.
After the game, head coach Hwang Sun-hong held a press conference. When Hwang entered the press conference room, his expression was not bright. Instead, he looked cautious.
When asked how he felt about the big win, Hwang said, “I think the players did a good job as they prepared. I want to tell them to be confident but to forget about it. We need more preparation and more determination to go higher,” he said, adding that there is still a long road ahead.
“It feels good to win big, but you have to be careful. Winning by a big margin is good, but it can be a poison. I want to quickly forget about this first game and praise the players for performing according to the tactical preparation. I think we should forget about the result and prepare again.”
Not the end. Hwang was extremely cautious in his answers, saying things like “there are more difficult games ahead”, “we still have a long way to go”, and “it could be poison”.
That’s because he’s been on the receiving end of this “excitement” himself.
As a player, Hwang attended the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games. He scored eight goals in South Korea’s 11-0 victory over Nepal. It remains the highest goal differential game in Asian Games history.
However, the tournament was no laughing matter for Hwang Sun-hong. Despite his eight-goal outburst in the first game, he was only able to settle for a gold medal. 온라인바카라
For 18 days before the tournament, Hwang emphasized his calm stance, saying, “If you stay calm and have patience, you will win,” and “It’s all about how well you prepare and stay calm.”
Hwang’s experience seems to have rubbed off on his players. “The players think the same way,” he said after the game. When we came out of the locker room, we all said the same thing. We’ve played one game. We’re going to take each game as it comes, and we’re going to play a good game like we did today.”
After winning their first game by nine goals, Hwang’s Asian Games team will face Thailand on the 21st and Bahrain on the 24th.
Will ‘Coach’ Hwang be able to keep his composure and end this journey on a golden note?