A German media outlet that has been hounding Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) for days is beginning to understand the timeline of his overload.
On November 15 (KST), German media outlet Sport1 asked, “How long will the situation that consumes Kim Min-jae’s stamina last?” The outlet said, “Bayern Munich has a thin squad with only three central defenders. Of those three, Kim is the only one who plays consistently,” adding that “even during the November A-match, Kim will not have time to recover.”토토사이트
Kim has played a significant amount of time in a Bayern Munich jersey. According to Sport1, “Since joining Bayern Munich from Napoli last summer, Kim has played 959 of the 990 minutes in the Bundesliga. In the UEFA Champions League, he has played full-time in all four matches.” “The first words he said when he arrived at Bayern Munich were, ‘Hello, I’m Minjae. Now he has to say, ‘Hello, I’m fine,'” emphasizing his overuse through the numbers.
As the media reports, Kim has played in 17 of Bayern Munich’s 18 official matches this season. Sixteen of them have been starts, and he has played full-time in 14 consecutive games. He’s not the only one playing. Bayern Munich has three world-class central defenders in Kim Min-jae, Dayo Upamecano, and Matthias Der Licht. Most teams that utilize a back four need four central defenders. The plan was to rotate players with good individual skills, even if they didn’t have the numbers.
However, Der Licht has been suffering from minor niggles since the injury he sustained while playing for the Dutch national team last summer. It’s a cycle of not being fully fit and then getting injured again. Up front, where Kim has been working with the most, Upamecano has also been plagued by injuries until recently, so coach Thomas Tuchel has been trying to keep him fit. In the meantime, Kim has been playing full-time for 14 consecutive games, which is depleting his stamina.
Last weekend, he played another 90 minutes against Heidenheim in the 11th round of the 2023-24 German Bundesliga at the Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich. That’s a lot of leg work for a player who had just played against Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League group stage just two days earlier.
Kim Min-jae has a lot on his plate. It’s inevitable that he’ll experience lapses in concentration as he moves around like a one-back, covering a vast amount of space behind him. If you look at his games lately, you’ll notice that he’s making a few passes in the second half, which can be interpreted as him reaching his physical limits.
He should have taken some rest in the second half if possible, but he didn’t, and that’s what happened. Kim had the lion’s share of the responsibility for the goal that tied the game at 2-2 in the 24th minute. During the buildup from the back, his pass to his teammate in front of him to relieve the opponent’s pressure was intercepted. In an attempt to make up for his mistake, Kim even threw himself at the opponent’s shot, which ultimately resulted in a goal. Kim hung his head in shame.
In fact, he had been slightly involved in the previous goal. He reached out for a cross to block a counterattack, but it deflected and found the striker. It was an unlucky goal for Kim Min-jae, and he was criticized for making a direct mistake this time
Local media outlets and soccer statistics sites alike had harsh words for Kim. ‘Couch Score’ assigned Kim a 6.5, the lowest rating among Bayern Munich defenders. He was involved in both goals. Footmob gave him a 7.0, but that’s far below the ratings of other Bayern Munich players. Fúscore.com also gave him a 5.9, indicating that he was having an uncharacteristically poor game.
Bild, a German media outlet that has been expressing its disappointment with the player since the Galatasaray game, also gave him the lowest score of 5. Considering that the lower the number, the better the rating, 5 is the level of a player who hasn’t made any impact in the game. That’s why they’re so biased against him.
He’s making the same mistakes over and over again, and as his body is overloaded, so is his performance. On this day, Kim completed only 93% of his passes. Dae In-mark, who has been called a defensive monster, also lost four ball contests, which automatically lowers his rating. The only thing that will make a difference is resting him, as he was involved in the crucial goal.
As the criticism of Kim intensifies, there are those who understand the context and defend him. Bayern Munich president Christoph Freund said, “We can all see that Kim is playing full-time every game. Human beings lose concentration. It can happen to him, too.” After playing full-time for 14 consecutive games, it’s understandable.
In fact, Kim has been acting as if his body isn’t listening to him during games. In a recent game against Borussia Dortmund, he was seen stretching his calf. Against Galatasaray, he rubbed his thigh. Against Galatasaray, he was caught in a sprint at the end of the game, which was an advantage, and conceded a goal. It’s a red flag that could go up at any moment.
Upamecano and De Ligt need to get back to full fitness soon if Kim is to rotate. Even if a center back is brought in in the winter transfer window, there’s still a long way to go. Also, realistically, if Bayern Munich were to bring in a defender, it would have to be someone who could step in immediately and fill the gap until Kim returns from the Asian Cup.
Otherwise, Kim will have to play another Bundesliga season without a break. The problem is that the club has limited resources to bring in a replacement in the winter transfer window. Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), who is currently the favorite to sign, may not be able to keep up with the demands on his body. In the end, Bayern Munich has no choice but to continue to trust Kim. He’s already irreplaceable, and now that Ballon d’Or has made him one of the best defenders in the game, that reliance will only increase.
The good news is that if the team is weaker, Kim won’t be able to make up for his mistakes, but Bayern Munich is a team that relies on its teammates to win. Bayern Munich’s first goal against Heidenheim came in the 13th minute when Leroy Sane played a pass into the middle of the field from the flank. Harry Kane caught the ball and, despite being between defenders, fell over and tried to shoot. The ball found the back of the net, giving Munich a 1-0 lead.
Another goal came in the 43rd minute from a corner kick. Again, it was a Sane/Kane combination. Sane’s cross was headed home by Kane. Munich’s 2-0 lead set the pace for the win. This is where Kim Min-jae’s mistake came into play and made it 2-2.
Bayern Munich were not going to go down without a fight, and just two minutes later, Rafael Guerrero equalized to make it 2-2. After Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s shot was blocked, Guerreiro slotted home the rebound.
Finally, in the 40th minute, the game was sealed. Tell broke free down the right flank and sent in a cross. Choupo Moting finished with a header. The final score was 4-2 in favor of Bayern Munich. Kim Min-jae, who was still feeling the effects of his mistake, had a big smile on his face.
The good news is that he has a lot of trust from his teammates. When Kim posted on his social networking site after the win against Dortmund, “Great win, and a clean sheet,” Goretzka wrote “Maschine” in response.
It means “machine” in German. It’s a fitting nickname, given Kim’s recent form. Despite his fitness issues, he has been playing like a machine.
Neuer also commented. It’s a handshake emoji, which can be interpreted as “I have a good working relationship with Kim Min-jae. Neuer is a perennial Munich goalkeeper, but has only recently returned from a long-term injury. He and Kim Min-jae form a strong back line. They’ve gradually gotten into a rhythm, and their relationship is growing closer.
Now, the Bundesliga is about to take a break and the A-League schedule begins. Unfortunately for Kim Min-jae, the schedule of death is not over. He’ll have to make another long flight for the A-match. November marks the start of the second round of Asian qualifiers for the FIFA Confederations Cup North and Central America, and Kim will be needed. If November was a time for evaluation, it will be a time for action in the run-up to the World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar in January.
Jürgen Klinsmann has been playing Kim consistently. Klinsmann started Kim in both of South Korea’s A matches in October. Kim played the full game against Tunisia and about 76 minutes against Vietnam. Against Vietnam, he played nearly 90 minutes.
Sport1 also reported, “Kim Min-jae is bound to have a busy schedule during the A-Match. South Korea will play Singapore at home before traveling to China. After that, he will play in a bar