Who should I use first?
Korean national men’s soccer team coach Hong Myung-bo will hold the fifth Group B match against Kuwait at the Abdullah Al Khalifa Stadium in Kuwait at 11 p.m. on Tuesday (Korea time) in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup. Korea, which is leading Group B with three wins and one draw, will increase its chances of advancing to the finals if it wins two consecutive games in the Middle East, including the match between Kuwait and Palestine (July 19). Kuwait (three draws and one loss) and Palestine (two draws and two losses) are ranking fifth to sixth in Group B.
Korea is ranking 22nd in FIFA rankings, ahead of Kuwait (135th), and has 12 wins, 4 draws, and 8 losses overall in matches. However, Hong Myung-bo has expressed tension over the upcoming match, calling the match more important than the October match. Teams that advanced to the third round cannot be underestimated, and the ball is round.
It is fortunate that players from European leagues, who are the main pillars of the team, do not feel the time difference. Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) joined the team after having two goals and one assist, while Lee Jae-seong (Mainz) and Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) also scored goals before joining the team. Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), the main catcher, recovered from his thigh injury to the extent that he played full time.
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who led the training session with all 26 players gathered for the first time on Wednesday, is fueling competition within his team. “The starting players should not be fixed. If you think you can play at any time, your competitiveness will disappear,” Hong told reporters in Korea.
The competition between left flanker Son Heung-min and rising star Bae Jun-ho of Stoke City is an important factor for fans to watch. The 21-year-old has emerged as a rising star as he has displayed support in succession in the third and fourth games against Jordan and Iraq last month. He is growing fast with bold plays without being intimidated. “In October, we received more time than expected to play, and we showed good performance,” Bae said. “I have Son this time. I want to help them and contribute to them.”
Son is an irreplaceable player. However, Tottenham manager Anji Postecoglou wants to cooperate with the Korean national team to manage Son’s injury and arrange his physical stamina. “Healthy Son Heung-min is important,” Hong also said. There is a possibility that Son will be activated as the starting player in the match against Kuwait, and Bae Jun-ho will be deployed in the second half.
Hong called in 21-year-old midfielder Lee Hyun-joo (Hanover) and flank fullback Lee Tae-seok (Pohang). At the first and second call-ups, he called in Yang Min-hyuk (Gangwon) who was confirmed to be transferred to Tottenham. He means to learn while playing with the world’s best players. 바카라사이트
“If a new player does well, an existing player can sit on the bench. Young players who lack experience in the national team should make up for the gap (with senior players). It is difficult to catch up with the existing players, but I regret it when the game ends after sitting idle during the call-up,” Hong said. This means that he needs to make efforts to secure his position.
Meanwhile, Son, who has scored 49 goals in 129 A-matches, will rank second overall in goals scored along with Hwang Sun-hong (50 goals). Son is also challenging to set a record of top-ranked Cha Bum-keun (58 goals).