Still, Hong Myung-bo’s “new faces” are waiting for an opportunity.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play the second Group B match against Oman in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Muscat Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Oman on the 10th.
Currently, South Korea is ranked fourth with one draw (one point) in Group B, which belongs to Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, and Palestine.
The third qualifying round is a shortcut to the World Cup. The 18 countries that survived the second qualifying round will be divided into three groups of six countries, each playing at home and away. The rankings will be determined based on the results of 10 matches, and the six countries that rank first and second will advance to the World Cup finals.
Even if they fail to qualify for the third round, they will still have a chance. The six countries ranking third and fourth will advance to the fourth round and compete for two more direct tickets to the Asian continent.
The first match against Palestine, which took place on the 5th, was a poor match. It was Hong Myung-bo’s first step toward the World Cup finals, but the team ended up with a 0-0 draw without scoring a goal.
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who has been controversial since the appointment of the coach, led the best members such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), but failed to calm the criticism by failing to bring a match to the Palestinians ranked 96th (23rd).
After a home game against the Palestinians, the team went on an away trip to Oman on Saturday. It summoned a team at Incheon International Airport on Wednesday night and arrived in Oman on Sunday morning. The team is committed to gaining its first win in the third preliminary match against the Omani team through recovery training and adaptation to the ground.
Attention is still focusing on whether Hong Myung-bo’s “New Face” players will participate or not. A total of four players, including “high school rookie” Yang Min-hyuk (Gangwon FC), Hwang Mun-ki (Gangwon FC), Choi Woo-jin (Incheon United), and Lee Han-beom (Mit Willan), will be on the roster for the first time.
Hwang Moon-ki made his A-match debut in the first round, and unfortunately, Yang Min-hyuk, Choi Woo-jin and Lee Han-beom were excluded from the list and had to watch the game from the stands.
Attention is focusing on which player will get the first chance in the second round match. The player who is most anticipated is of course Yang. Yang, who debuted in the K-League this season in 2006, has already scored 13 attack points with eight goals and five assists, leading Gangwon’s sensation.
He showed his potential early on and received attention from overseas teams, and he confirmed Son Heung-min’s transfer to Tottenham at the end of July and is set to join the team in 2025.
Attention is focusing on whether Yang will be able to show off his competitive edge in the international arena. Currently, the national team boasts two brilliant advancements, from Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-seong, Hwang Hee-chan, and Lee Jae-seong to Um Ji-seong (Swansea City), who is on the list this time. Among them, high school student Yang Min-hyuk will be able to show his role.
Choi Woo-jin and Lee Han-beom are unlikely to play, but both players are expected.
As for Choi Woo-jin’s position, Seol Young-woo (Trvena Zvezda) and Lee Myung-jae (Ulsan HD) can play in the left-back position. Seol Young-woo was replaced due to injury in the first game. We have to see if he will start the second game. If so, chances are high that Lee Myung-jae will have a chance.
Kim Min-jae and Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan.HD) are in charge of center back position. Cho Yoo-min (Sharja) and Jung Seung-hyun (Al-Wasl) will compete in the third place. Lee said, “The ranking is bound to fall behind. 메이저놀이터
Curious once again about coach Hong Myung-bo’s appointment of players, which focuses on “stable selection and future-oriented squad formation,” but he is unlikely to be able to afford to test players.
In particular, victory is more urgent as it fails to bring victory to Palestine, which was considered a weak player in the first round of power.