The Korean men’s soccer team defeated Kuwait 9 to 0 in the first game of the Hangzhou Asian Games. Asian countries could not hide their embarrassment at this.
Not only Kuwait, but also Indonesia, which they may meet in the tournament, and Japan, their fateful rival, showed various reactions to Korea’s great victory. In particular, they showed great interest in Korea’s military service benefits.
Kuwait’s local media outlet ‘Arab Times’ reported an article titled ‘Kuwait suffered a shocking 9-goal loss to Korea’ on the 19th (local time). The media reported, “The Kuwait Asian Games national team suffered a shocking loss to Korea in the first Group E soccer match held in Hangzhou, China,” and added, “The game ended with Korea’s unbelievable 9-goal win.”
The Arab Times evaluated this game as “Kuwait’s defeat is historic.” He then pointed out, “We have a history of participating in many Gulf Cups and continental competitions, but this loss was a big setback.”
The media also harshly criticized the Kuwaiti players, saying, “The Kuwaiti players tried to maintain concentration against the fearsome Korean team, but the majority of the players showed a demoralized appearance.” He added, 소닉카지노“Coach Emilio Pace failed to devise an effective strategy.”
Kuwait was not the only country surprised by Korea’s landslide victory.
There were various reactions from Indonesia, which is in Group F, the group right next to the group. Indonesian influencer ‘Fakta Bola’, who spreads soccer news through social media, shared the result of the game, saying, “Korea won 9 to 0 against Kuwait in Group E of the Asian Games.”
He then explained, “In the round of 16, the 1st place in Group E will meet the 2nd place in Group F, and the 1st place in Group F will meet the 2nd place in Group E.” This seems to have been announced because if Indonesia, a member of Group F, advances to the round of 16, there is an open possibility of meeting Korea in Group E.
Indonesian soccer fans who heard this news expressed caution and said, ‘We must avoid Korea.’
One Indonesian fan said, “If we do something wrong, we will face the team that is likely to win right after passing the group stage.” Another fan claimed, “We have to be first in our group to avoid having to face Korea.” This is why Korea is likely to take first place in the group.
We already know that if Korea wins, the players will be exempt from military service. Indonesian fans expressed opinions such as, “Korea is doing their best because they are exempt from military service,” “If they didn’t have military service benefits, they wouldn’t have played so hard,” and “If they win, they are exempt from military service, so they should never meet Korea.”
However, there were also fans who expressed confidence. Indonesian fans expressed opinions such as, “We have to meet all teams to win anyway,” “Everyone shouldn’t be too scared. If we want to go high, we have to stick with Korea,” and “Avoiding is pointless.”
Japan was also interested in military service benefits for Korean athletes. One Japanese netizen said, “Korea’s spirit is different. Because they are exempt from military service, they are the only team in this competition with the best members.” He also left comments such as “There is nothing we can do because the military service exemption booster is being activated,” “Korea has a different spirit,” and “The motivation is completely different.”
Praise for the Korean national team was also noticeable. Some Japanese fans responded by saying, “It was a game that showed a difference in level,” “It was amazing,” and “The Kuwaiti players played really hard, but there was a difference in power between them and the Korean players who also play in Europe.”
Britain’s Reuters also reported the news of Korea’s major victory. Reuters said, “Korea, aiming for its third straight men’s soccer title at the Asian Games, got off to a perfect start by defeating Kuwait 9 to 0.” Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) is scheduled to arrive from France this week, so coach Hwang Seon-hong has more chances to play in the tournament. “There will be many attack options,” he noted.
The Korean national soccer team, which celebrated its first game with a big win, will play the second match of the group stage against Thailand at Jinhua Sports Center Stadium in Zhejiang, China, at 8:30 pm on the 21st. In this tournament, where 21 teams are divided into 6 groups, the 12 teams ranked 1st and 2nd in each group and the 4 teams with the best 3rd place in each group advance to the round of 16.