On the April 3 episode, "Curious Stories Y" analyzes whether there’s any answer for Korea’s national team crisis with just 69 days left before the North and Central America World Cup kicks off.
On March 28, Korea’s men’s national team suffered a 0-4 defeat in a friendly against Cote d’Ivoire. They then lost 0-1 to Austria in the next friendly, falling into a shocking two-game skid. Even with matches running late into the night in Korea, dedicated fans stayed up to watch―only to be left too upset to sleep.
This should be the time to feel that pre-World Cup buzz. Instead, reality says otherwise. Pub owner Park Hyung-gyun, who runs a soccer broadcast pub, described empty seats: “If it’s a match people care about, they’ll show up no matter how late. But right now, the losses are huge,” he said, sounding defeated.
Ho-tae, who has been a member of the Red Devils for over 30 years and now serves as an operations chair, also couldn’t hide his mixed feelings watching the team’s recent form. On paper, with stars like Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Kim Min-jae, this roster is hailed as one of the most stacked ever. But the results aren’t matching the hype.
Soccer commentator Park Moon-sung agreed on the talent, calling the lineup “the strongest ever, the flashiest.” Then he posed the question: “But the results aren’t there. So whose problem is it?”
That question naturally lands on one person. During his playing days, he captained the national team with standout leadership and stood at the center of Korean soccer. Now, he’s the head coach of the national team: Hong Myung-bo.
With defensive lapses repeating, tactics that don’t seem to evolve, and frustrating overall play, criticism toward Coach Hong is growing louder. With the World Cup around the corner, is this slump just part of the process―or a warning sign of something bigger?
"Curious Stories Y" takes a multi-angle look at whether Korean soccer can find a solution. The episode airs Friday, the 3rd, at 8:50 p.m.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)