For Hong Myung-bo, the rotation against Kuwait is not an option, but a must.
The Korean men’s soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play its fifth Group B match against Kuwait at the Ardiya Jabeur Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait at 11 p.m. on the 14th (Korea time) in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup between North Korea and China. South Korea is ranked first in the group (10 points) and Kuwait is ranked fifth in the group (3 points).
Team Korea has become a complete group ahead of the match against Kuwait. Domestic players and Oh Se-hoon moved on from Korea to Kuwait on Wednesday, while players from the Middle East joined Kuwait relatively easily. Some European players, including Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom, also joined Kuwait quickly. Lee Kang-in and Lee Hyun-joo arrived in Kuwait after the completion of training on Wednesday, and Son Heung-min, Seol Young-woo and Oh Hyun-kyu came on the morning of Wednesday, becoming a complete group.
Practical tactical training will take place on July 13. Key players focused on recovery training until July 12. It was a natural move as more players were competing in the European leagues.
Amid the recent controversy over excessive number of players who are participating in both the national team and the national team, Tottenham Hotspur coach Angie Postecoglou recently mentioned Son to the national team. “We need to cooperate with the national team to approach this situation,” Postecoglou said in a pre-match press conference with Ipswich Town. Son has continued to play for his team and the national team. “We want a healthy Son,” he said, adding that the management of Son’s playing time is necessary. “As soon as he joins the national team, we will decide the playing time through interviews.”
Besides Son, there are other players who need to take good care of their physical condition. They are Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom. Born in 1996, the two players showed outstanding performances on the European stage and were not able to rest as they were the main players of their teams. As they occupy such important positions, their coaches have not been able to easily replace them.
Hwang started in all seven matches since the October A-match, and played full-time in all but replaced him in the 15th minute in the second half of the league match against Almercity. He played for a total of 600 minutes. Kim Min-jae also started in all seven matches and played 565 minutes during the same period as a center back against Bayern. He played full-time in the last two matches in a row.
The upcoming two consecutive games in the Middle East are important matches that will determine the success or failure of the team to advance to the World Cup finals. Nevertheless, rotation is needed to maintain the health of the main players. If it is inevitable to send him as a starter, he should set up a winning spirit early and seek to arrange his physical strength through replacement in the middle of the second half.
Up to now, Hong has been more stable in actual game management compared to the announcement of the national team roster. This time, he deserves a bold change. For example, he includes Kwon Kyung-won or Jeong Seung-hyeon instead of Kim Min-jae to watch with Cho Yoo-min, or Baek Seung-ho or Hong Hyuk-seok instead of Hwang In-beom to test whether the build-up will work or not. Son Heung-min also has his own personalities like Bae Joon-ho and Lee Hyun-joo, so there is no need to use him full-time. 바카라사이트
Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom are the core players of the Korean national team, but they should be used sparingly if they look at the 2026 World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. The two consecutive games against Kuwait and Palestine are the best conditions for them to be given a certain period of rest and experiment with candidate resources. Even considering the additional effects that the national team can gain when it rotates its rotation, it is worth considering the physical strength arrangement of the main players.