Hwang Hee-chan (28, Wolverhampton Wanderers) was honest.
The South Korean national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, won 3-1 against Oman in the second Group B match of the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup Asia 3 at Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Muscat, Oman, at 11 p.m. on the 10th (Korea time).
Hwang Hee-chan was coach Hong Myung-bo’s hidden card on the day. Hong used the card in the match against Oman by his predecessor Jurgen Klinsmann, and as the team’s main formation, he abandoned the 4-3-3 he used in the first match against Palestine and brought out the 4-2-3-1 formation.
In addition, Lee Kang-in, who was expected to be an offensive midfielder, was put in the right wing forward. Instead, striker Hwang Hee-chan was appointed to the position.
Coach Hong Myung-bo said, “This choice was accurate. Hwang Hee-chan, who was given a free roll at the center, confused the opposing defenders and even scored early in the game. He got Son Heung-min’s pass and scored a fantastic shot into the net in the 9th minute of the first half. This goal helped Hong win his first preliminary match.
On the same day, Hwang Hee-chan said, “I knew that the results were important even before the final qualifying round. I think there were some positive scenes that brought results like this, but I’m so happy to have the results. I think we got three really important points, so I think it was a game that could help us move forward.”
Regarding the coach’s appointment as an offensive midfielder, he said, “The coach ordered a lot of connecting plays with (Son) Heung-min and (Oh) Se-hoon, and (Lee) Kang-in and (Hwang) In-beom all together. He said a lot of things going back and connecting the ball from the pocket position, and I think those parts came out well. Of course, there are parts that need to be improved. Now, we brought the most important result in the second game, and I think there were a lot of good scenes in the goal scene, so we need to make more use of them in the future. There are a lot of really good players, so I think we need to show our fans more of those good scenes in the future.”
Surprised by the fact that the field reporters were active without adaptation even in unfamiliar situations, he said, “I didn’t run much in the 10th place, but during the pre-season this time, I ran on the spot, and I think I talked a lot about that with the coach because I’ve been running almost all the places above the attack since I was young. The coach told me a lot of details, and I think one of the reasons why we kept talking to the coach during breaks and things like this was that the part where we moved more organically came out better.” 메이저놀이터
Hwang Hee-chan also gave an honest answer to the reporters to make them laugh. When asked how hot this game was in his life, Hwang Hee-chan added, “It’s the best (laughs).”