Match against Iran not decisive: Paulo Bento
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Loading...Tasnim – TEHRAN, South Korea head coach Paulo Bento said the match against Iran in the 2022 World Cup qualification is not a decisive match.
The Taegeuk Warriors are scheduled to meet Team Melli on Tuesday in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium in Group A.
South Korea has never beaten Iran in Tehran, with two draws and five losses so far, Yonhap news agency reported.
With his team looking to end that drought, Bento acknowledged it will be “a different game than the last three games for sure.”
But at the same time, Bento also tried to deflect the pressure away from his players, saying, “The game that we’re going to play on Tuesday isn’t more important than the games we’ve played.”
“It’s not a decisive game. It’s just one more game,” Bento said in his postmatch press conference at Ansan Wa Stadium in Ansan, 40 kilometers south of Seoul. “It’ll be a tough game and a very good challenge for us. But I am sure it will be a tough game for them as well.”
Bento balked at the notion South Korea should just try to settle for a draw against Iran in the difficult away match.
“A draw is just how the game starts. We should play and fight to reach three points,” he said. “From the beginning, we’re not going to play to draw the match. We’re going to play to win the match.”
