IFAF World Championship: South Korea vs. Brazil
South Korea, still reeling from their underwhelming performance against a speedy and physical Outback team from Australia on Thursday, will face Brazil in the second round of play, Sunday July 12, in the 2015 IFAF World Championships at Tom Benson Hall of Game Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
South Korea was totally overwhelmed in their game against Australia in round one, losing 47-6 and gaining -21 yards on the ground. After taking an early 6-0 lead on an interception by linebacker Yeo Bong Do they could do nothing against a more physical Australian squad. The Koreans also seemed to suffering from the effects of acclimatization as they arrived only two days before the game while Australia had been on the ground and practicing for more than a week.
The Koreans mounted a mere 69 yards in total offense against the Outback and allowed 385 yards. They seemed to fade as the game progressed as the speed and physicality of the Australians took over. Head coach Seong Il Baek will be hard pressed to find a solution against the Brazilians, who after taking an early pounding from France, falling behind 24-0 by early in the second quarter, seemed to settle down and find a level of confidence against a seasoned French team.
Against Australia, Korea managed five first downs and crossed midfield only twice during the game.
Brazil on the other hand, began asserting themselves against Team France in the second half. They adjusted much better to the speed of the game and head coach Danilo Muller Ribeiro’s quarterback rotation system seemed to work. Starter Ramon Cerqueira was relieved at times by Rhudson Fonseca, who is learning the offense literally on the run. Fonesca scored Brazil’s only touchdown on a 2-yard quarterback sneak in the second half.
Brazil offensive coordinator Brian Guzman:
“We have a solid offensive line with veteran players and really good athletes. That’s our most consistent unit – they’ve been together for some time. Overall, we’re a physical team. We may not be the fastest team in the tournament, but it’s a physical team that is passionate about this opportunity. It’s a team with a lot of heart.”
Brazil plays a very physical game and although they allowed 136 rushing yards against France, much of that was French running back Stephen Yepmo’s 52 yard touchdown run in the third quarter. This does not bode well for Korea who lost 35 yards on their very first possession against Australia.
South Korea kicker/wide receiver Seung Jae Lee:
“Australia was a lot tougher than we thought and they had a fast tempo offense and defense and made plays on special teams and I don’t think we were really ready for them.
We have nothing to lose now and we’re not going to get this opportunity again. We will put our best effort in to get a win.”
If South Korea is going to have any chance at all in this game quarterback Kim Tae Hoon has to settle his troops down and his offensive line, who are physically outmatched, must find ways to give him more time. Australia had him on the run for much of the game. He proved that he has a strong arm, throwing 70 yards downfield on the last play of the game. The pass was incomplete but if he can get the time to complete some of those passes, this game could get interesting.
Watch the game live, kickoff is at 12 noon EDT in Canton, Ohio.
All games will be broadcast live and streamed globally on ESPN3 in the United States, on ESPN International broadband channels where available, and at BigTimeSports.com.