AFC Asian Cup 2019: South Korea vs. Philippines - 3 reasons why the Taegeuk Warriors defeated the Azkals

Favorites of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, South Korea, survived an early scare into the tournament as they pipped a resolute Philippines side 1-0 at the Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai. Gamba Osaka's Hwang Ui-jo rattled the back of the net in the 67th minute after Hwang Hee-chan laid the ball towards him inside the six-yard box.

That goal was enough for the 53rd ranked team as it escaped them from jaws of defeat. A closer inspection of the match reveals that it wasn't a cakewalk for the South Koreans despite being ranked 63 places ahead of their rivals.

Although they didn't dominate the match, they showed sparks of brilliance which could have turned the game in their favor. But, these 3 reasons ensured that South Korea had the upper hand.

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#3 Brilliant positioning of the goalkeeper

The Philippines knew that they were going to be on the backfoot for the most part of the game and thus, resorted to a counter-attacking style. And, if your opponent switches from defense to attack within four passes, your goalkeeper shouldn't be surprised if a barrage of shots comes towards him.

Other than one particular instance when Kim Seung-gyu was off-guard and had to rush to his position to prevent the ball from crossing the line, the 2014 Asian Games gold medallist did a wonderful job to narrow down the angles.

The Azkals had a total of six shots out of which two were on target. However, they were dealt with easily by the goalkeeper who was unmoved largely due to his brilliant positioning. In the 41st minute, he had to thwart away Javier Patiño' goalbound shot from the edge of the penalty box. Patino again had a shot at goal in the 54th minute but, Kim Seung-gyu kept him at bay.

#2 High possession, shots, passes, and pass accuracy

It would be interesting to see what Son Heung-Min brings to the table

As expected from the South Koreans, they dominated every department of the game. The Taegeuk Warriors had 82% possession, completed 782 passes, had 90% pass accuracy, and took 16 shots.

South Korea's nimble-footed players lodged in beautiful crosses from the wing, dribbled past the tightly-knitted Filipino defense and took out the defenders with swift one-touch and backheel passes.

Lee Jae-sung, Koo Ja-cheol, and Hwang Hee-chan, who ply their trade in Germany, played their part wonderfully and didn't let Son Heung-Min's absence affect their performance. Newcastle United's Ki Sung-yeung had to be substituted in the 58th minute owing to an injury. But, his replacement Hwang In-beom ensured that he wasn't the weak link in the midfield.

With or without Son Heung-Min, South Korea is deadly, unforgiving, and pitiless. And, Philippines learned it the hard way.

#1 Brilliant passing and crossing in the attacking third

Lee Jae-sung tries to head the ball

Having a high possession percentage and dictating the pace of the game doesn't always ensure you would walk away with three points. Iceland, who parked the bus in their match against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup, walked away with a draw and, South Korea caused a massive upset when they ousted Germany from the tournament.

Philippines took a leaf out of their oppositions' book but the same trick wasn't to be applicable on the master. The Azkals' tactic backfired as they fell prey to South Korea's scintillating short passes and crosses in the attacking third.

They showed no fear while passing the ball amongst themselves inside the box and rarely lost the ball. Lesser fancied teams will fancy the tactic of parking the bus in front of the Asian Giants. Countries like Australia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia should draw inspiration from South Korea as they are bound to face oppositions employing this tactic in the later stages of the game.