Will the crisis of the absence of Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham Hotspur) be a blessing in disguise for the generational change of the national soccer team.
The Korean national soccer team, which is preparing for the third away match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup, started a full-fledged tactical training in Amman, Jordan. Seol Young-woo (26, Zvezda) joined the team for the last time early in the morning. The third round will be held at 11 p.m. on Saturday (Korea time) at Amman International Stadium.
South Korea and Jordan both have one win and one draw in the third qualifying round. In the semi-finals of the Asian Cup held in February, the team is in a difficult situation, although an important match is ahead against Jordan, who has the potential to cause a humiliating 2-0 defeat to South Korea. Son Heung-min, who can be called the pillar of the national team in name and reality, is out due to a thigh injury. Hwang Hee-chan (28, Wolverhampton), the core of the national team’s offense along with Son Heung-min, has recently lost his position in his team and has been in a slump.
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who has no choice but to set a new stage, is likely to seek a way out through replacement of generations, a long-standing task for the Korean national team. Of the 26 players in the team, eight were born after 2000. New faces have entered the race to become main players in all positions ranging from one goalie to two defenders, four midfielders and one striker.
The most notable position is likely to be the defensive midfielder. Jung Woo-young (35, Ulsan HD), who has long been a key player in the national team, failed to make the list, and Baek Seung-ho (27, Birmingham City) and Kwon Hyuk-kyu (23, Hibernian FC) were selected as the candidates. One of them will likely be paired with Hwang In-beom (28, Feyenoord). The central defenders who will match Kim Min-jae (28, Bayern Munich) will also be filled with Kim Joo-sung (24, FC Seoul) and Lee Han-beom (22, Mit Willan) instead of Kim Young-kwon (34, Ulsan) and Kwon Kyung-won (32, Kolpakan Club). Oh Hyun-kyu (23, Genk) has been named as striker for the first time in a long time.
Considering that both Jung Woo-young and Kwon Kyung-won have a lot of experience in the Middle East, they are committed to generational change. When announcing the national team’s roster on April 30, Hong said, “Young players including Kwon Hyuk-kyu are constantly playing. I don’t know if I can use it right away, but I will call the national team to watch for the future.” 스포츠토토
The goalkeeper is also a key player as the new generation is poised to change. Kim Jun-hong (21) of Jeonbuk Hyundai should pay more attention than Kim Seung-gyu (34) of Al-Shabab returned after nine months due to injury. Kim Jun-hong, who has played in 39 K-League matches since his debut in the pro league at age 18, is now challenging the rivalry between Kim Seung-gyu and Cho Hyun-woo (33) of Ulsan.
The national soccer team will return home on a chartered flight after the third round and play the fourth match against Iraq at 8 p.m. on the 15th at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province.