Cho Kyu-sung, who lacks natural talent, becomes a normal striker if he doesn't try harder

Petition addressed to: HTH

Cho Kyu-sung (26, Mitte Whelan) is a striker who has clear strengths and weaknesses. 스포츠토토

Heading using his height (1 m88), diligent penetration from side to side, strong physical struggle, and hard running are his strengths. On the other hand, shooting, cross-kick accuracy, strategic penetration ability, and goal positioning are considered disadvantages.

Cho was unexpectedly sluggish at the Asian Cup. He failed to score a goal even at a scene where he thought it was a goal, or in situations where his team had high expectation for a goal (xG). He also fired a shot into the air right in front of the goal. He could have been under even more criticism if he had missed the goal in the closing time of the second half in the match against Saudi Arabia in the round of 16.

Cho has nine goals and two assists in a total of 20 matches in Denmark's first division during the 2023-2024 season. He has started 19 out of 20 matches, making him a key player in the team. Nine goals are the highest in his team, and he is tied for the third place in the Danish league in terms of goal tally. However, it is difficult to say that the goal is of high purity. According to soccer player analysis website PortMove, he only boasted nine goals out of 11.26 expected. Among the nine goals, four were penalty goals and seven were kicked, resulting in three missed goals. He had the expected 5.52 goal in penalty kicks, but he only scored four. SoFi analysis also reveals Cho's strengths and weaknesses. There are many things that cannot be considered as a killer who scores well with accurate kicking skills.

"Even when it's hard to hit a shot, you have to hit a shot that's not blocked on the defensive wall to be a good killer."

"I can't smell the goal very well. I lack the ability to predict where the pass will go when attacking."

"We need movement with purpose. It's good to run hard, but you shouldn't run recklessly."

"In order to score a goal against a strong team, the timing of shooting needs to be fast. If that doesn't work, the shooting keeps getting stuck in the wall."

"You can't just use your headings. If you don't use your feet well, you can't be a real killer."

These are sincere advice from soccer experts who want Cho Kyu-sung to develop.

Cho has scored a total of 48 goals (including 10 penalty kicks) in the K-League. Out of 38 goals, excluding 10 in the PK league, he scored 15 with his left foot, 11 with his right foot, and 12 with his head. He kicked 10 penalties and scored all of them. At least in the K-League, Cho scored evenly with his feet and head, and there was no penalty loss. I have a feeling that he is sluggish in the Danish league and in the recent national team.

Is it because the Danish league is stronger than the K-League? Is it because the teams they are playing against in the national team are superior to Korea? Is it because Cho Kyu-sung himself does not put in much effort.

It is important for killers to be born with it. Smelling goals, making shots on goal even in difficult situations, and penetrating quickly in a short period of time by banking on their quickness have limitations in overcoming them through training. In this regard, Cho is a killer who is rarely born with much talent. If you lack what you are born with, you have no choice but to make up for it with your efforts.

Even now, Cho should focus more seriously on soccer, listen carefully to self-criticism, and try harder to become a good player. Rather than what he wants to show others, he should find what others want from him as a soccer player and make up for it. Cho has improved a lot, but is now stagnant. If he doesn't try harder even now, he has no choice but to become an ordinary striker.