(Asian Cup) S. Korea coach looking beyond Asian Cup after clinching spot in final
SYDNEY, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea may have reached the AFC Asian Cup final with a 2-0 win over Iraq on Monday, and yet head coach Uli Stielike said the team must keep working to improve itself even if clinches the championship.
South Korea scored a goal in each half for its fifth consecutive victory at the continental tournament. Stielike, who took over coaching the South Korean team in October, noted that his team has gradually improved its play but still left much to be desired after the latest win.
"Today, we lost the ball way too often," he said. "We still have many players with relatively little experience. Then we have players such as Cha Du-ri and Ki Sung-yueng (who both have more than 70 caps). When these players control the ball, it becomes a whole new match. If we were to play a good match in the final, we have a lot of work to do."
South Korea defeated Uzbekistan in extra time last Thursday, while Iraq knocked out Iran the following day in a penalty shootout. South Korea had an extra day of rest, which Stielike said worked to his team's advantage on Monday.
For the championship, South Korea will meet the winner of the other semifinals match between Australia and the United Arab Emirates. South Korea defeated Australia 1-0 in the group stage, and Stielike predicted the host will advance to the final.
"Australia is a very well-prepared team," he added. "It's a tactically sound team and the players understand their roles very well. I think Australia will make the final but there may also be an upset (by the UAE)."
Though Stielike was hard on his own team, Iraq's head coach Radhi Shenaishil said South Korea was the far superior side as he conceded defeat.
"We hoped to reach the final, but South Korea played a great match and competed at a high level," the losing coach said. "We made two mistakes and South Korea capitalized on them to score."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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