Fateful final ‘Korea-Japan’, Hwang Sun-Hong-ho ‘draw’, set pieces with different patterns

Set-pieces are becoming Hwang’s ‘secret weapon’.

Head coach Hwang Sun-hong’s Asian Games men’s football team will face Japan in the final of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games Men’s Football at the Huanglong Sports Center in Hangzhou, China on Sunday at 9 p.m. (KST). It will be the second consecutive time the team will meet Japan in the final. They will be looking to win their third consecutive title.

Hwang Sun-hong scored 25 goals and conceded just two in six games in the tournament, including the quarterfinals. That’s four goals per game. His goals come in a variety of patterns, especially from set pieces.

Set pieces are an obvious but difficult scoring option. This is because you have to deceive the defense with a split-second move, and you need to be precise and detailed in your execution. It”s a low-impact way to score a goal while leaving your opponent frustrated.

In this tournament, Hwang Sun-hong has been scoring easily from set pieces. Kickers are also diverse, with Lee Kang-in, a left-footed ‘specialist’, and Hong Hyun-seok having a very sharp left-footed kick. In addition, ‘Captain’ Baek Seung-ho has a powerful right foot.

While some goals have come from direct free kicks, others have come from free kicks and corner kicks. Defenders Lee Jae-ik and Lee Han-beom have already found the back of the net. The national team is enjoying having a variety of kickers in the tournament. In the group stage, Baek Seung-ho scored from a free kick, and in the quarterfinals against China, Hong Hyun-seok scored from a free kick with a stunning left-footed shot.

Against Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals, Jung Woo-young opened the scoring from a free kick. Kicker Lee Kang-in sent the ball straight to Hong Hyun-seok, who crossed it into the penetrating Uhm Won-sang. Uhm Won-sang crossed again, and Jung Woo-young slid it in with his right foot to split the goal.

The team practiced set-piece drills ahead of the quarterfinal against China. Huang led a demonstration and emphasized the importance of focusing on free kicks and corners. Set pieces can be the most obvious way to score goals. After all, the first goal is crucial in a one-sided match. Especially in the final, there is a high probability of a one-goal game. It will be interesting to see if Hwang’s ‘secret weapon’, the set piece, can shine in the final 스포츠토토.