"I Feel Sorry for the Defenders!" Kim Min-jae Hurls His Football Boots at the Bench as Pent-Up Anger Erupts

[Financial News] "Even if we had won 7-0 or 9-0 today, I would not have felt good at all."
Kim Min-jae, the defensive linchpin of the South Korea national football team, was thoroughly furious. Unable to contain his emotions after the team's frustrating performance continued for all 90 minutes, he even hurled his football boots onto the bench in a dramatic display of anger. It was a pointed rebuke from a key player aimed at Robert Moreno's South Korea side, where the spirit of being a "united team" had disappeared.
The South Korea national football team, led by interim head coach Robert Moreno, played Venezuela to a 0-0 draw in a friendly at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium on the 2nd. The match was supposed to provide a turnaround and erase the shock of the team's 1-4 rout against Uruguay, but it turned into 90 disastrous minutes in which South Korea secured neither the result nor a convincing performance.
South Korea failed to create a meaningful scoring chance throughout the 90 minutes. The problems began in the initial build-up, where frequent misplaced passes and unforced errors repeatedly handed possession to Venezuela far too easily.
Whenever the forwards and midfielders lost the ball up front and left the team exposed, the defensive line had to shoulder the entire burden. Kim Min-jae battled throughout the match, using relentless cover play and tackles to block Venezuela's dangerous counterattacks with his whole body.
Eventually, his long-suppressed anger erupted. In the 35th minute of the second half, Kim Min-jae was replaced by Kim Tae-hyeon of Kashima Antlers and headed to the bench. After speaking seriously with coach Robert Moreno, he sat down and immediately lost control of his temper, forcefully throwing the football boots he had been wearing onto the floor. It was a moment when his extreme frustration with the team's disappointing performance was captured in full by the broadcast cameras.


Kim Min-jae's pointed remarks during a post-match broadcast interview were even colder and more direct.
He began by saying, "This was a match in which we needed a turnaround, so it is disappointing that we failed to get the result. Many areas need to improve." He then added, "The entire team needs to fight, compete and defend together, but today I felt sorry for the defenders." He directly criticized the tactical imbalance that placed an excessive burden on the defense and the lack of defensive support from his teammates.
Kim Min-jae continued, "Overall, it did not feel as though we were all fighting together. Even if we had won 7-0 or 9-0 today, I would not have felt good," harshly criticizing the dismal performance rather than focusing solely on the result.
With the final match of the four-game series against Uzbekistan set for the 6th at Yongin Mireu Stadium, he also delivered a stern warning to his national team teammates.
Kim Min-jae raised his voice, saying, "The most important thing is for the team to come together as one. We can get results only if the team plays as one, rather than individuals trying to shine," before adding, "To raise the team's level, every player needs to 'put their heads down' and work hard."
With the manager's tactics lacking and the players' fighting spirit also nowhere to be seen, Robert Moreno's South Korea side is in serious trouble. Attention is focused on what impact Kim Min-jae's angry rebuke, voiced both on and off the pitch, will have on the embattled national team.


[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter