Again this time, he selected a “new face.”
A national team coach Hong Myung-bo’s quest for fullback continued this time as well. At the Seoul Football Center on Monday, Hong revealed 26 Taegeuk Warriors, who will play in Group B 5 and 6 of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup against Kuwait (14th) and Palestine (19th). With young and competent new faces including Kim Bong-soo (Kim Cheon Sangmu) and Lee Hyun-joo (Hanover), Hong has made another change to his fullback team. Lee Tae-seok (Lee Eul-yong’s son) and Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon) (Bentoo’s surprise card) have been newly named.
There is no need to explain the importance of a fullback in modern soccer. As the defense structure has become more solid, side plays have become more important, and fullbacks that fly between offense and defense are key to tactics. As Hong emphasizes “Rabolfiana” that creates a modified three-back by lowering defensive midfielders, the role of fullback as a starting point is all the more important. Moreover, Hong has not lowered Park Yong-woo recently, and is deploying a new type of build-up to narrow down left fullback Lee Myung-jae (31) of Ulsan to make a three-back. This requires the fullback’s versatility even more.
Perhaps for this reason, Hong has been making great efforts to play fullback since his inauguration. Hong also said, “I’m worried about the side. I’m looking for a player for that position.” In September, when the team was playing its first A match, the team decided to make a major change. It boldly excluded Kim Jin-soo and Kim Tae-hwan (Jeonbuk Hyundai), who used to be the backbone of the team, from the list. Seol Young-woo (Zvezda) was the only member of the last Qatar Asian Cup. Instead, he selected Hwang Moon-ki (27, Gangwon), the “nuclear of tactics in Gangwon Province,” and Choi Woo-jin (20, Incheon), the “young blood.” After passing the test, Hwang has grown into a member of the side of Hong Myung-bo.
In October, left fullback Park Min-gyu (29) of Gonsadore Sapporo, who had joined the national team under former coach Paulo Bento, was newly selected. Although he has yet to make his A-match debut, he tested Park Min-gyu, who was recognized for his balance between offense and defense since his days as Bento. However, Park did not play. 토토사이트
For now, Seol Young-woo, Hwang Moon-ki, and Lee Myung-jae have been listed as members of the November roster. Hong called out Lee Tae-seok and Lee Ki-hyuk for the remaining seats. Both players are left-footed. From Park Min-gyu to Lee Tae-seok and Lee Ki-hyuk, Hong’s concerns seem to be focused on the left side, not the right side. Lee and Lee have completely different styles. Lee is highly aggressive. He even plays as a winger for his team. His strength lies in physical strength and kick. Lee’s versatility. Hong also praised him as “a player who can play fullback, central defense, and midfielder. He is very versatile.” In particular, Lee can use it as a three-back card, and he can add Hong’s tactical options. In this case, the build-up process by narrowing the left fullback mentioned earlier may be smoother.
At the convocation in November, the conclusion of Hong’s third full-back test will be revealed soon whether he will be able to clean up his worries.