In light of his team's rout of Fiji on Thursday to open the men's football tournament at the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, South Korea coach Shin Tae-yong said he can now go "all-in" versus Germany in the next match.

South Korea hammered Fiji 8-0 at Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador, some 1,600 kilometers north of Rio, and poured in seven goals in the second half.

South Korea moved to first place in Group C. The two other nations, Germany and Mexico, ended in a 2-2 draw in Salvador earlier in the day.

And these results put South Korea in the driver's seat for a spot in the quarterfinals. The top two teams from each of the four groups will make the final eight.

"We can now go all-in against Germany, and it'll be much easier for us to reach the quarterfinals with a win," Shin said. "I can't divulge our tactics against Germany now, but we're going to execute what we've prepared. I'll think more about things we have to address before facing Germany."

If South Korea beat Germany, they will stay in first place with six points. Mexico are expected to handle Fiji with ease and move to second place with four points.

Even if South Korea lose to Mexico and Germany beat Fiji on the final Group C day on Aug. 10, South Korea will still end up in second place and move on to the knockout stage.

Shin, who watched the German-Mexico match from the stands, admitted he was hoping the two would end in a draw and said he was pleased to get his wish.

South Korea only managed a goal against the otherwise hapless Fiji defense in the first half. Shin said his young players -- the Olympic Games are open only to players under 23, except for three overage players -- might have been a tad nervous at the onset.

"If we had converted some early opportunities, we would have had an easier time in the first half," the coach said. "I told them at halftime to compete with more confidence. Then we were able to thread our passes through their defense, and it led to the onslaught."




By Yonhap News