Written by Youngsub Lee
Football Tribe Korea
The 2019 EAFF E-1 Championship in Busan ended as the Republic of Korea emerged as the final winner, defending its title at the men’s tournament.
This would be the Korean national team’s manager, Paulo Bento’s first trophy since his appointment in August 2018.
Ahead of the remaining World Cup qualifiers in 2020, the Portuguese manager regarded the tournament as an opportunity to “test possible candidates for the national team”. However still, familiar names such as Hwang In-beom and Na Sang-ho were often seen throughout the tournament proving Bento’s full trust. Both players netted against Hong Kong to silence the critics who were dissatisfied with their performance.
Backed by 29,252 fans present at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, Korea demolished its arch-rival, Japan to raise the trophy.
After the match, Paulo Bento remarked “Both teams played a tough match. It is important to note that our players understood their responsibilities throughout the match. I think it was a fair win for us. We did not allow any openings to the opponent… I would like to congratulate my players.”
This will be the first time the hosting country clinching the championship in the tournament’s history.
In meantime, Paulo Bento’s squad will regroup in March 2020 to face Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka for the fifth and sixth Group H fixture of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 campaign.