Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the Korean males’s nationwide soccer group, speaks at a press convention on the Korea Soccer Affiliation Home in Seoul, March 10. Yonhap
For Korea’s two upcoming World Cup qualifying matches at house, head coach Hong Myung-bo would have favored a couple of Okay League participant in his 13-deep midfield corps. Ideally, he would have had extra steadiness between home leaguers and people based mostly abroad, which, in flip, would have created more healthy inner competitors for taking part in time that advantages each teams.
Nevertheless, Okay League gamers didn’t give Hong that probability this time as a result of, in Hong’s phrases, they tried too laborious to impress.
Hong on Monday introduced his 28-man squad for matches towards Oman on March 20 and Jordan on March 25 within the third spherical of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hong mentioned he and his employees gave Okay Leaguers lengthy appears to be like, pondering that they would not need to cope with the jetlag that usually plagues gamers touring in from afar.
The coach, although, got here away disenchanted with some gamers who had been on the nationwide group within the current previous.
„I seen how a few of them carried out in a different way than final yr. They’d loads of pointless actions and touches in moments when they need to have been faster and extra decisive,“ Hong mentioned on the press convention on the Korea Soccer Affiliation (KFA) Home in Seoul. „Possibly it was as a result of they’d change into too assured after enjoying for the nationwide group final yr. I assumed a number of gamers had taken steps again. I perceive they needed to make an impression on me and my employees, however I assumed they tried too laborious.“
As Hong was explaining his choice, assistant coach Kim Jin-kyu nodded his head in settlement whereas watching the presser from the aspect.
Hong selected to not shut the doorways on such gamers solely, saying: „These are the gamers we at all times have on our thoughts. If they’ll enhance in these areas I simply talked about, they are going to at all times have an opportunity to return to the nationwide group.“
As it’s, Hong will carry 12 midfielders from abroad and one midfielder from the Okay League, Lee Dong-gyeong of Gimcheon Sangmu FC. General, Hong’s 28-man squad options 9 Okay Leaguers.
Earlier this yr, Hong and his employees went on a scouting journey to Europe to go to with Korean gamers there and see them in match motion. As productive because it was to satisfy some gamers and have lengthy conversations, Hong mentioned it was significantly troublesome to place collectively the squad this time in contrast with current months resulting from gamers‘ underperformances and accidents.
„Whereas we have been there, most Korean gamers did not get to play a lot, and a few of them have been sidelined with accidents. And there have been those that could not crack the lineup after a training change of their golf equipment,“ Hong mentioned. „A minimum of we obtained to see firsthand how effectively or poorly they have been enjoying, and had an opportunity to find out whether or not they actually deserved an opportunity to play large minutes or they have been solely enjoying as a result of their teammates have been harm. All of it made for a troublesome choice course of.“
Finally, Hong concluded that Europe-based gamers have been nonetheless superior to these within the Okay League.
Son Heung-Min of Tottenham runs with the ball throughout the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Britain, March 9. AFP-Yonhap
That abroad group will as soon as once more be led by longtime captain Son Heung-min, who scored a penalty objective for Tottenham Hotspur in his newest Premier League match Sunday.
It was solely Son’s seventh objective in 25 matches this season, placing him effectively off his ordinary tempo.
Amid whispers that Son has begun declining at age 32, Spurs have tried to cut back his minutes. Hong mentioned he might do the identical with the nationwide group however it doubtless will not occur straight away.
„In fact, he isn’t enjoying as many minutes and isn’t scoring as usually as earlier than. However we should not overlook about what he has carried out up to now, each for the nationwide group and for his membership,“ Hong mentioned. „I’ll sit down and discuss to him about his function with us, and we are going to attempt to discover the best choice.“
Korea’s two matches can be performed outdoors Seoul, with poor pitch circumstances at Seoul World Cup Stadium, thought-about the mecca of Korean soccer, as soon as once more forcing venue modifications.
Final October, the KFA moved the match towards Iraq from Seoul to Yongin, about 40 kilometers south of the capital, resulting from area points. This time, the Oman match can be at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, about 20 kilometers northwest of Seoul, adopted by the Jordan match at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of the capital metropolis.
These selections are additionally pricey, as a result of they’re each smaller than the 66,000-seat Seoul World Cup Stadium and the KFA will not generate as a lot gate income at these alternate stadiums.
Hong mentioned pitch circumstances can function a transparent indicator of a group’s efficiency stage.
„Soccer is turning into extra technical and tactical than earlier than, and the standard retains bettering. If the pitch cannot help that, it is a large downside,“ Hong mentioned. „It is probably not necessary to some folks, however this isn’t simply in regards to the gamers. We have now followers watching, and that is in regards to the high quality of play. So I would prefer to ask upkeep staff to be extra accountable. I can assure you that our gamers will carry out higher on a greater pitch. Followers will watch higher soccer.“ (Yonhap)
