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By Joo Kyung-don
SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong lamented his side's scoreless draw against Iran in the World Cup qualifying campaign at home.
South Korea failed to get past 10-man Iran in their World Cup qualifier at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Thursday, though they still remained in position to secure their ninth consecutive trip to football's showpiece event with one match remaining in the final Asian qualifying round.
"It's a pity that we couldn't score, but I want to thank our players who gave their best," Shin said after the match. "I knew we were going to have a difficult match against Iran that have shrewd players with good physical abilities."
The 48-year-old coach is known for his attacking style of football, but Shin said his team played defensively a little bit against Iran due to the visitors' counterattack ability.
"Iran's attackers like to run down the pitch a lot up front, so I was aware of their quick attack," he said. "We didn't go forward from the start, because if we conceded a goal first, we knew it was going to be a very difficult game."
After Iran were down to 10 men after Saeid Ezatolahi's ejection in the 52nd, Shin said he tried to reinforce their offense with substitutes, but acknowledged that his plan didn't work in the end.
"Since we failed to score, I have to say my plan didn't work," he said. "We tried to turn the tide with substitutions and score a goal, but we couldn't do it."
Shin, who took over the team in July after Uli Stielike was sacked, said his side had little time to build up tactics with the full squad. For his team's uninspiring performance, Shin also pointed a finger at the pitch conditions, saying his side didn't get much help from the home turf.
"If we had played with better pitch conditions, our performance would have been better," he said. "The stadium officials worked hard to keep conditions good, but it wasn't enough. Iran's players had the power to overcome these pitch conditions."
With the latest result, South Korea now have 14 points, two ahead of Syria and Uzbekistan with one match to play. Syria and Uzbekistan have 12 points apiece, but Syria are currently in third place thanks to a tiebreaking edge in goal difference.
South Korea's World Cup fate will now be determined in Tashkent on Tuesday when they face Uzbekistan.
Shin said his team will go for a victory as always. In Asia, only the top two teams from Groups A and B will advance directly to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Two third-place nations will drop to the playoffs for a final chance to qualify.
"We play for victories, and we will do the same for the match against Uzbekistan," he said. "I think at least a draw without conceding a goal will allow us to keep second place."
The match against Iran was Shin's official coaching debut with the senior squad, although he previously managed South Korea in September 2014 as a caretaker in friendly matches against Venezuela and Uruguay before Stielike took control of the team.
By Joo Kyung-don
SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong lamented his side's scoreless draw against Iran in the World Cup qualifying campaign at home.
South Korea failed to get past 10-man Iran in their World Cup qualifier at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Thursday, though they still remained in position to secure their ninth consecutive trip to football's showpiece event with one match remaining in the final Asian qualifying round.
"It's a pity that we couldn't score, but I want to thank our players who gave their best," Shin said after the match. "I knew we were going to have a difficult match against Iran that have shrewd players with good physical abilities."
The 48-year-old coach is known for his attacking style of football, but Shin said his team played defensively a little bit against Iran due to the visitors' counterattack ability.
"Iran's attackers like to run down the pitch a lot up front, so I was aware of their quick attack," he said. "We didn't go forward from the start, because if we conceded a goal first, we knew it was going to be a very difficult game."
After Iran were down to 10 men after Saeid Ezatolahi's ejection in the 52nd, Shin said he tried to reinforce their offense with substitutes, but acknowledged that his plan didn't work in the end.
"Since we failed to score, I have to say my plan didn't work," he said. "We tried to turn the tide with substitutions and score a goal, but we couldn't do it."
Shin, who took over the team in July after Uli Stielike was sacked, said his side had little time to build up tactics with the full squad. For his team's uninspiring performance, Shin also pointed a finger at the pitch conditions, saying his side didn't get much help from the home turf.
"If we had played with better pitch conditions, our performance would have been better," he said. "The stadium officials worked hard to keep conditions good, but it wasn't enough. Iran's players had the power to overcome these pitch conditions."
With the latest result, South Korea now have 14 points, two ahead of Syria and Uzbekistan with one match to play. Syria and Uzbekistan have 12 points apiece, but Syria are currently in third place thanks to a tiebreaking edge in goal difference.
South Korea's World Cup fate will now be determined in Tashkent on Tuesday when they face Uzbekistan.
Shin said his team will go for a victory as always. In Asia, only the top two teams from Groups A and B will advance directly to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Two third-place nations will drop to the playoffs for a final chance to qualify.
"We play for victories, and we will do the same for the match against Uzbekistan," he said. "I think at least a draw without conceding a goal will allow us to keep second place."
The match against Iran was Shin's official coaching debut with the senior squad, although he previously managed South Korea in September 2014 as a caretaker in friendly matches against Venezuela and Uruguay before Stielike took control of the team.
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