Rookie Bae Jun-ho (21, Stoke City) will be responsible for the vacancies of Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham) and Hwang Hee-chan (28, Wolverhampton).
Team Korea led by Coach Hong Myung-bo will face Iraq in the fourth Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2020 North-China World Cup, which will take place at 8 p.m. on Saturday at Mir Stadium in Yongin. Korea, which had a 2-0 full victory in an away match in Jordan on Sunday, has taken the lead in the group with two wins and one draw. Iraq is also in second place with two wins and one draw.
Hong Myung-bo’s biggest concern is the left-hand line. Captain Son Heung-min was excluded from the call-up due to his hamstring injury. After much consideration, Hwang Hee-chan was selected as the starting pitcher for the match against Jordan. However, Hwang Hee-chan, who collapsed due to Jordan’s killer tackle, was replaced during the match and was dismissed due to injury.
In the match against Jordan, Hwang Hee-chan’s replacement Um Ji-sung was injured again in the 6th minute of the second half. Bae Jun-ho, the only remaining card, was dispatched. Bae Jun-ho showed impressive performance with bold shots. Hwang Hee-chan and Um Ji-sung were eventually called off. Coach Hong Myung-bo is likely to use Bae Jun-ho as the starting player against Iraq.
Coach Hong Myung-bo said, “Bae Joon-ho is growing very fast. His team also likes to play from the inside. It is my role to dress our players well. I am constantly contemplating (his role),” hinting at his participation.
Bae Jun-ho said, “No one knows what will happen. Since Seung-woo (Lee) and Sun-min (Moon) came in, we have to compete in it. If the opportunity comes, I want to do my best.” 메이저놀이터
Bae Jun-ho on the left and Lee Kang-in on the right are expected to take responsibility for the Korean side attack. Bae Jun-ho is also secretly looking forward to starting. Bae Jun-ho said, “I’m always learning a lot by watching (Lee) Kang-in. It was nice to have the opportunity to play together. If I’m helpful, I think there will be synergy effects in the future,” and expected him to start the match against Iraq.