"The probability of the round of 16 is not high" Message in Park Ji-sung's 'belief remarks'
“I honestly think that the chances of the round of 16 are not high in terms of objective power.”
It was a 'confidence remark' by a Korean soccer legend Park Ji-sung (41), an advisor for Jeonbuk Hyundai. The FIFA (International Football Federation) World Cup Qatar 2022 Trophy Tour event was held at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul on the 24th. He, who attended the event as a Korean soccer legend with former national team coach Cha Bum-geun (69), answered the moderator's question, 'Please predict the results of this World Cup final of the Korean national football team.'
Prior to that, Rivaldo (50, Brazil) and former coach Cha Beom-geun shouted for the World Cup semi-finals and quarter-finals, respectively. Rivaldo, a member of Brazil who won the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan and visited Korea as a FIFA legend, said, "In 2002, Korea achieved a splendid quarter-final, and the same result will be expected this time as well." Former coach Cha Beom-geun also said, "It's good to have big dreams. I hope that the Korean national team will make it to the quarterfinals."
Park Ji-sung's extremely realistic outlook was somewhat surprising in that the World Cup trophy was the first event in 8 years to be unveiled in Korea, as well as an event that heralded the start of the full-fledged World Cup. It was quite far from the hopeful prospects of the previous two legends to frankly state that the possibility of advancing to the round of 16 itself is not high.
Park Ji-sung said, "I honestly don't think the probability of qualifying for the round of 16 is high," but "but soccer balls are round." He emphasized, "Just like no one expected that we would reach the semifinals in 2002, the World Cup results will be different depending on how we prepare from now on and how much effort we put in." It was his real message following his remarks about his beliefs about the World Cup prospects.
This was also a message to Bentuho as a legend who experienced all of the World Cup semifinals (2002), group stage elimination (2006), and the first away trip to the round of 16 (2010). Having played in all three World Cups and experiencing both successes and failures of Korean football, he knows better than anyone the importance of preparing for the World Cup, especially now.
In fact, not only Park Ji-sung, but most foreign media also view Korea's chances of the round of 16 as low based on FIFA rankings and objective history. Park Ji-sung re-examined this reality and at the same time asked the national team and juniors to prepare more thoroughly for the rest of the World Cup. It was his message from his three World Cup experiences that, in the end, in order to increase the chances of qualifying for the round of 16, continuous effort is important.
Park Ji-sung predicted that Bentuho would be able to advance to the round of 16 only after the efforts of these players and the people's earnest support were added. He said, "The weight and pressure that the players have in the World Cup is extraordinary." He said, "As one of the people, if everyone has the same dream and cheers 토토, I think that the national team will be able to make it to the round of 16.
