Jürgen Klinsmann’s coaching style has been questioned in many areas, most notably his use of K League players.

Klinsmann’s South Korea national soccer team (ranked 28th in FIFA) drew 0-0 with Wales (ranked 35th in FIFA) in a friendly at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, at 3:45 a.m. ET on Aug. 8. The draw extends South Korea’s winless streak since taking over from a foreign coach from four to five games.

South Korea was in control throughout. They had 61% possession, and their passes (629) were vastly more than Wales’ (394), but they weren’t sharp at all. 바카라 The passing was mostly from the back and was mostly back passes. There was a lack of crossing and forward passing accuracy, and the passing play between players was not very good up front. We had 4 shots on goal compared to 11 for Wales. Only one was on target, by Son Heung-min.

With the game unresolved, Klinsmann made a substitution. In the 16th minute of the second half, he brought off Hwang In-beom and Hong Hyun-seok and added Lee Soon-min and Hwang Hee-chan. The substitution of Lee Soon-min stood out. Lee Soon-min started as an unknown player and improved through hard work. After Lee Jung-hyo took over as coach, his performance skyrocketed and he became the centerpiece of the team. He continued to excel in K League 2 and then K League 1, becoming one of the top three midfielders in K League 1.

He scored a theater goal in a friendly match against Atletico Madrid, making his name known even to casual fans. This caught the eye of Klinsmann, who called him up to the national team for the first time in his career. There was a lot of speculation about his debut, but Lee Soon-min came in for Hwang In-beom. He was expected to form a double bolanch with Park Yong-woo, with the left and right fullbacks moving up to focus on the flanks.

Park Yong-woo was still the only defensive midfielder and Lee Soon-min moved up high. It was an attacking midfield or mezzanine move. Lee Soon-min was uncharacteristically active, full of enthusiasm, and pressing hard in defense. He showed his strengths, but it was questionable whether he was dressed for the role. His role in Guangzhou was different.

It’s not uncommon for a player to be given a different role in the national team and club, but in Gwangju, he was too far removed from his position. Even under Lee Jeong-hyo’s Gwangju, Lee Soon-min can get up high, but he is basically in front of the defense. When he gets the ball, he’s the type of player who will pull up and play a forward pass, but rarely does he get up top like he did against Wales.

I wonder if Lee Soon-min’s characteristics and utilization have been closely observed and written about. He reminds me of Ahn Hyun-beom in the A match last June. Ahn is a very aggressive wingback. He is so aggressive that he can almost be considered a winger. Klinsmann used him as a stopper. He kept Ahn behind the two center backs and elevated the left fullback, Lee Ki-Je, up high.

Naturally, Ahn was unable to perform to his potential. He went down with an injury and was named to the roster again, but didn’t play. Like Ahn, Lee Soon-min wasn’t given the role that made him the best player on his team and played in a somewhat unfamiliar position. One can’t help but wonder if Klinsmann, who is not based in Korea and doesn’t watch the K League often, was able to observe the player closely, determine his clear use, and select and utilize him.