Team Hong Myung-bo, who is aiming to advance to the FIFA World Cup finals for the 11th time in a row, will hold two consecutive matches with Jordan and Iraq. Managing the conditions of the team is a priority in order to achieve the desired results from a difficult schedule.
The national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play the third Group B match against Jordan at Amman International Stadium in Amman, Jordan, at 11 p.m. on the 10th (Korea time).
South Korea struggled with one draw and one loss as it played Jordan twice in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup held in February. In particular, there is a painful memory of finishing the tournament with a 0-2 defeat after a disappointing performance in the semifinals.
Jordan is an extremely difficult country, but South Korea has not formed a perfect squad. Son Heung-min (Tottenham), the captain and ace of the national team, was excluded from the list due to a thigh injury suffered by his team.
Having lost Son Heung-min, an important card that requires no elaboration, Korea must prevent further electricity leaks. Fortunately, no one has left the 26-member call-up list except Son.
However, it is worrisome that Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), who are active in Europe, are playing in their teams every three to four days. They are hardly resting because they are playing the UEFA Champions League with their own leagues.
In addition, players who are active in the K League are also physically burdened as the season is nearing the end.
Coach Hong Myung-bo is paying a lot of attention to managing the team’s condition.
When announcing the roster for the upcoming national team, Hong said, “I felt that we need to supplement the players’ ability to recover during the A-match in September. The players did not display good recovery capabilities. In particular, players who played in many matches have become fatigued,” adding that the cause of the team’s performance that fell short of expectations in September was poor condition.
In line with this, a large number of players active in Europe and the Middle East have been selected. Seventeen of the 26 players are from Europe and the Middle East. 토토사이트
“The first of the two consecutive A-matches will be an away match in Jordan in October. I thought the players’ time difference and condition are important,” Hong said. “If Korea passes from Europe to the Middle East, it will be less affected by time difference.”
“After convening the team, we will check individual players’ conditions and upgrade their physical condition through training that suits them,” a source from the Korean national team said. “The fortunate thing is that players from Europe and the Middle East have joined Jordan, which is close to them, and travel time is short. There is also little time difference.”
The fact that the Korea Football Association uses chartered flights to help players return home soon after the match against Jordan will also help them manage their physical condition. Korea will have a home game against Iraq at Yongin Mir Stadium on Saturday, five days after the match against Jordan.