FRIENDLY MATCH
WEDNESDAY 13TH JULY, 2022
Played at Seoul World Cup Stadium
(8pm local)
TEAM K LEAGUE 3(1) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 6(1)
Team K League scorers:-
Cho-Gue Sung, 45 (+2)
Veldwijk, 52
Amano, 71
Spurs scorers:-
Dier, 30
Jin Hyuk Kim(0.g.), 47
Kane, 54, 75
Son, 69 (pen), 85
Attendance:- 64,100
Referee:- Jong Hyeok Kim
Team K League (4-2-3-1): Hyeun Woo Jo (Young Kwang Kim 46), Jin Su Kim (c) (Ki Je Lee 46), Tae Wook Jeong (Myung Joo Lee 46), Seung Wook Park (Dong Min Kim 70), Dave Bulthuis (Ji Soo Kim 46), Seung Ho Paik (Jin Ho Sin 46), Seung Woo Lee (Lars Veldwijk 32 (Young Wook Cho 62)), Dae Won Kim (Gerso Fernandes 46), Chang Hoon Kwon (Hyun Jun Yang 32 (Jun Amano 62)), Aleksandar Palocevic (Min Kyu Joo 46), Gue Sung Cho (Jin Hyuk Kim 46)
Sent off:- Dong-Min Kim (73) – foul on Son preventing a goal-scoring opportunity
Spurs team (3-4-3):-
First half:-Austin; Romero, Dier (Capt.), Sanchez; Emerson Royal, Skipp, Bentancur, Sessegnon; Gil, Richarlison, Lucas Moura
Second half:- Lloris (Capt.); Tanganga, Dier (sub Sayers,77), Sanchez (sub Fagan-Walcott,77); Emerson Royal (sub Son, 47), Sarr, Hojbjerg, Doherty; Lucas Moura (sub White, 76), Kane, Richarlison (sub Parrott,77)
Subs not used:- Keeley; Davies; Perisic; Kulusevski
Booked:- Emerson Royal (foul)
Fun win in Seoul
This was no slow-paced gentle warm-up game, but a fast-paced fun game in a hot and humid Seoul stadium packed with 64,100 enthusiastic fans. The Team K league squad was formed of two players from each of South Korea’s top division, who played the game with gusto and some degree of skill.
Antonio Conte fielded 22 of his squad, which meant first team debuts for goalkeeper Brandon Austin, and summer signing Richarlison in the first half, followed by Pape Matar Sarr, and 18-year-old defender Charlie Sayers in the second half. Sarr was signed last summer, but immediately spent the season back on loan with Metz. Sayers was snapped up from Southend earlier this year.
Our first high-profile signing of the summer Ivan Perisic was one of four unused subs, whilst there was no sign of Fraser Forster or Yves Bissouma. In fact these three players were reported to be ill. Clement Lenglet arrived too late to travel to South Korea. Joe Rodon was not able to travel, due to illness and Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele, Sergio Reguilon and Harry Winks were left at home encouraged to find new clubs. Thus, Antonio Conte’s desired squad is being clearly illustrated.
The home fans were excited to see Spurs’ star players Kane and Son, especially their national icon who before the game was appointed as a United Nations World Food Programme's Global Goodwill Ambassador!
Spurs kicked off, but the hosts had the best of the early possession without causing too much bother to the Spurs defence, apart from a cross from the left after three minutes, which passed wide across goal. Indeed 23-year-old Austin, who has had loan spells in Denmark and the USA, was not truly bothered, although he did concede the Koreans’ equaliser on the stroke of half-time.
Romero needed attention after a bad fall in midfield, and Spurs recovered well after an errant Sanchez pass at the back. There did not seem to be much wrong with Spurs’ strength, desire and power, but their passing sometimes let them down. Lucas Moura, played on the left of the front three, with Bryan Gil on the right. Richarlison this began leading the line but was also deployed to the left and right of the front three during the game.
Ryan Sessegnon, who has already won Conte’s favour, was prominent, but his delivery sometimes failed. After one midfield ball from Ryan, Lucas Moura set off on a run through the middle and hit a right foot shot wide of the keeper’s left post. Gil advanced into the box after passes by Skipp and Romero, but his shot was weak. Bentancur won the ball in the opposition half and carried on, but his shot was picked up by Hyeun Woo Jo in goal.
There was an excellent chance for Richarlison after 13 minutes after he received a pass from Emerson Royal. Richarlison hesitated regarding his shot, and after he over-hit the ball, it fell back to Royal, who fired wide with a left foot shot. Lucas Moura had another powerful run after receiving from Sanchez, but over-hit a pass intended for Richarlison.
Team K League won a cheap corner after an over-hit back pass, but Serbian Aleksandar Palocevic’s shot was blocked. There was more great play by Lucas Moura in the middle, and after passes by Skipp and Royal, Gil had another chance, but that was blocked. Davinson Sanchez won a corner with a shot that was pushed into the side netting after a Spurs corner and assists by Skipp and Romero. Richarlison was not far off meeting the subsequent corner. A cross by Royal was met by Sessegnon but basically directed back across goal harmlessly.
Sanchez escaped sanction inside the Spurs with a tackle, and it wasn’t long before Spurs took the lead. The goal was scored by Eric Dier, wearing the captain’s armband, who went on a run after receiving from Gil only 10 yards inside the Team k league half. Off he went before hitting a left foot shot into the net, left of the keeper.
There followed a drinks break and a couple of home substitutions. Soon after the restart, Royal needed treatment. There were massive cheers for Harry Kane and Heung-min Son as they warmed up. Emerson recovered and was soon booked for a late challenge upon Kim Dae-Won. After that Austin powerfully parried a shot by Kim away from danger. Dier blocked a shot by Kim Jin-su inside the area, before at the other end, a good cross by Sessegnon, intended for Richarlison was cleared.
Richarlison had a header on target, but easily saved, after a cross from Royal. Yang Hyun-Jun hit a shot wide from right to left across goal, before almost on the stroke of half-time Cho Gue-Sung met a left-side cross with an excellent header that beat Austin’s dive inside his right post.
Spurs made several changes for the second half. Royal started, but was soon replaced by Son, who was of course given a rapturous reception. By that time, Spurs had already regained the lead when a Kane cross from the right, intended for Richarlison was turned into his own net by Jin Hyuk Kim.
Team K League equalised again after South African born Lars Veldwijk turned in a cross from the right. His shot was hit from the edge of the area and beat Lloris’s right hand. Lloris seemed a little unaware here. Spurs soon regained the lead with an excellent left-footed shot, hit from 25 yards by Harry Kane after Lucas delivered the ball from the right wing. The ball beat the keeper inside his left post.
There were more changes by the home team around the hour mark. Son had a shot deflected and won a corner after Richarlison and Kane had worked thee ballot his feet. Following the corner, Amano basically caught the ball inside the area for an obvious penalty and Son was given the honour of taking the spot kick. He did not fail, scoring down the middle, with the goalie having already dived to his right.
That was 4-2,but there were more goals to come. The first followed a foul by Sanchez a good 25 yards out upon Amano. Amano seemed to be signalling to the fans, and Lloris was surprised by his direct free kick goal, scored inside his left post. The two-goal lead was restored when Richarlison released Son inside the opposition half and “Sonny” was fouled on the very edge of the box, just as he was about to pull the trigger. The offender Dong-Min Kim was sent off for preventing the goal-scoring opportunity. Harry Kane scored direct from the free kick although the ball took a couple of slight deflections from the wall on its way to the net. One of these might even have been from a Spurs player.
With the score at 5-3 Conte gave young players Parrott, White and Sayers some game time and Lucas, Dier and Sanchez could finally take a breather. Harvey White made a good tackle at the back and passed to Son who raced forward and tried to tee up Parrott, but the ball ran to the goalkeeper. Son failed to make the best of a good ball by Kane. Parrott had a left foot shot saved as he tried to fire across the keeper. Finally, Son was presented with the ball by poor defending when Kane threatened. The man who shared last season’s Golden Boot did not fail to score with his right foot shot.
In added time Kane had a left foot shot saved after Parrott’s effort was blocked, and Son slipped when presented with a hat-trick chance by Hojbjerg.
All in all, I imagine all parties were happy at the end of the game. Spurs face Sevilla on Saturday lunch-time (UK time) in the Suwon stadium.
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