The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, has secured a valuable victory in the burdensome Middle East away. In addition to the destructive power of forward attacks held by Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), the players who showed good performance in the K-League have been confirmed to be competitive enough in the national team. However, the problem of slow generational change in defense and defensive midfielders, and disorganizing defense organization and concentration remain homework.
The national soccer team won 3-1 against Oman in the away match of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup, which ended in Muscat, Oman on the 11th (Korea time). Hwang Hee-chan led by scoring the first goal in the 10th minute of the first half, but the national team, which dedicated the equalizer in the 47th minute of the first half, won the tricky away match in Oman with Son Heung-min and Joo Min-kyu (Ulsan HD) scoring consecutive goals in the 37th and 56th minutes of the second half. The national team, which had lost its pride by drawing 0-0 with Palestine on the 5th, also had a chance to turn a new leaf with the victory.
It was positive to actively advance and take the lead and score the first goal, but the passive response to Oman’s offensive after scoring is a part that needs to be improved. In the end, giving up unnecessary free-kick opportunities in dangerous areas and even allowing equal goals is also considered to be a part of the problem in defense concentration and organization.
As the team urgently needs to win, it had to wait for the next opportunity to conduct a generational change experiment in which Yang Min-hyuk (Gangwon FC) and Jung Ho-yeon (Gwangju FC) will be showcased. Currently, Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-seong (Mainz) are both born in 1992, and they will turn 34 in the next World Cup. In particular, defense and defensive midfielders need to find replacements for Kim Young-kwon (34), Park Yong-woo (31), and Jung Woo-young (35). However, it is a positive point that Hwang Moon-ki (Gangwon FC), who was newly appointed by Hong, has shown active movements and is now open to defense, which has been a long-standing concern.
Team Korea will play the third away match against Jordan on October 10 and the fourth against Iraq on May 15. As Korea, Jordan and Iraq are currently forming the leading Group B group with one win and one draw, the third and fourth matches are expected to be a turning point for the team to advance to the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time. 안전놀이터
The Seoul World Cup Stadium was a favorite for the home game of Game 4, but chances are high that it will change. This is due to chronic grass conditions. “We are discussing whether we can improve grass conditions at the Seoul World Cup Stadium by next month. Apart from that, we are also looking into other stadiums,” said an official from the Korea Football Association. In the first round, critics said that the grass conditions at the Seoul World Cup Stadium were so bad that he lacked fast attack and pass play due to poor ball control. After the match against Oman, Son Heung-min said, “The grass conditions were so good that the players made confident plays,” adding, “I hope these things can be improved at home stadiums.”