"We Have Nothing to Lose, We Can Win" Bento Awaits Kickoff

Bento, 1 Draw and 3 Losses Against Brazil... 1 Draw as Player, 3 Losses as Coach
"A One-Match Tournament, We Could Win"

Coach Paulo Bento

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] Paulo Bento, the coach who led the South Korean national football team to the Round of 16 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, is challenging for his first-ever 'victory against Brazil' in his football career.

The match against Brazil, held at 4 a.m. on the 6th (Korean time) at the 974 Stadium in Doha, Qatar, is Bento's first World Cup Round of 16 match both as a player and as a coach.

Bento, a former defensive midfielder, played 35 A matches for the Portugal national team over more than 10 years from 1992 to 2002. However, since Portugal only reached the World Cup finals for the first time in 16 years at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup after the 1986 Mexico World Cup, 'player Bento' experienced his first World Cup match at the age of 33.

◆'First Round of 16 in Football Career' Bento... Leads South Korea to Third Round of 16

However, at that time, Portugal lost 0-1 to South Korea in the third group stage match, conceding the winning goal to Park Ji-sung, finishing with 1 win and 2 losses, and placed 3rd in the group, failing to advance to the Round of 16. Thus, Bento's World Cup career as a player ended, and that match against South Korea was his final national team game.

Bento returned to the World Cup stage in the 2014 Brazil tournament after retiring as a player in 2004. After taking the helm of the Portugal national team in September 2010, Bento achieved notable results such as reaching the semifinals of the UEFA Euro 2012, raising high expectations as he entered the Brazil World Cup finals.

However, Portugal finished the group stage with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss against Germany, the United States, and Ghana, placing 3rd due to goal difference behind the United States, and failed to advance to the Round of 16.

Bento's first advancement to the World Cup Round of 16 came with the South Korean national team. After being appointed head coach of South Korea in August 2018, Bento led the team to qualify for the World Cup finals for the 10th consecutive time and advanced to the Round of 16 in Qatar. South Korea's advancement to the Round of 16 was the first in 12 years since the 2010 South Africa tournament, marking the third time overall including the legendary 2002 Korea-Japan tournament where they reached the semifinals.

On the 4th (local time), one day before the Round of 16 match between Korea and Brazil in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Paulo Bento, head coach of the Korean national team, and Kim Jin-su held an official press conference at the Main Media Center (MMC) set up at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Photo by Yonhap News

◆One Draw as a Player Against Brazil, Three Losses as a Coach

Coach Bento, stepping onto the World Cup Round of 16 stage for the first time in his football career, is once again challenging a 'first' against Brazil. Throughout his career as both player and coach, Bento has never beaten the Brazil national team. As a player, he played the full match in a friendly against Brazil in Lisbon, Portugal, in April 2002, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

As a coach, he faced Brazil three times and lost all matches. In September 2013, leading Portugal, he lost 1-3 in a friendly match in the United States. After becoming South Korea's head coach, he lost 0-3 in a friendly match held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in November 2019. In a friendly match held in Seoul this June, he was defeated 1-5.

If Coach Bento achieves his first-ever victory against Brazil, South Korean football will simultaneously make history by reaching the 'first-ever Round of 8 in an away World Cup.' Bento is burning with determination to write this historic record of advancing to the quarterfinals against Brazil.

At a press conference held on the 4th at the tournament's main media center (MMC) in Al Rayyan, Qatar, he emphasized, "If we have to play multiple matches to decide the winner, Brazil would win, but if it is a single knockout match, we could win. We really have nothing to lose."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.