Seol Young-woo (26, Tsurvena Zvezda), who has become a senior member of the national team, confessed his grievances, not grievances.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, conducted training against Oman at 6 p.m. local time on the 8th at Al Shiv Stadium in Shiv, Oman.
South Korea will face Oman in the second Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup at Sultan Qaboos Stadium at 11 p.m. on the 10th (Korea time).
It is Hong Myung-bo who is dreaming of winning for the first time. South Korea did not win the first match on its home turf on the 5th. The opponent was Palestine, ranked 96th in FIFA, but the result was a 0-0 draw. The damaged grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium did not help, but Korea’s decision-making and performance did not meet expectations. Son Heung-min’s decisive shot hit the post at the end of the second half, which was not even lucky.
The team had no time to feel sorry for it and boarded the plane to Oman on Saturday. After a grueling 15-hour journey, they arrived at Muscat Airport at around 12 p.m. local time and stepped on the ground in Oman on Sunday. After taking a short break at their lodging facility, they moved to Al Shiv Stadium to begin training to adjust to the situation. Despite the intense fatigue, the team burst into laughter and elevated the mood.
Ahead of his second training session, flanker Seol Young-woo met with reporters. Seol made his A-match debut in June last year, but has become a fixture in the national team for the first time in about a year. He also started as a left-back in the last match against Palestine and worked with Son Heung-min.
Seol, who is struggling from Serbia to Korea, and from Korea to Oman, said, “It was harder than I thought. This is my first time, too. I was so excited about going to Korea after hearing the news. I felt (Son) Heung-min and (Lee) Kang-in were amazing when I came here. It’s hard to sleep.”
Seol, who left Ulsan HD last summer, got to meet Coach Hong Myung-bo again in the national team. “I spent several years with Coach Hong Myung-bo in Ulsan. I got to meet him again here. I think I still know the most about the soccer that the coach wants. Personally, I think the coach often seeks balance between the side defenders. Whether it is attack or defense, he prefers players with good balance rather than players who are outstanding on one side,” he said.
Seol added, “I have tried to play soccer that suits Ulsan since then. I haven’t spent much time with the coach in the national team yet, but I don’t think it has changed much. I also think I need to figure out the soccer that the coach wants and adapt well again.”
Is there any story that director Hong Myung-bo told me personally? “The director came to Serbia before the announcement of the list. That’s when I met him. The director bought me meat at the top restaurant of the best hotel in Belgrade. I was always hungry, but it was good to eat expensive meat,” he said, smiling brightly and adding, “After I returned, he contacted me personally about my physical condition.”
Seol Young-woo has several younger players as fullbacks in the national team. Both Choi Woo-jin and Hwang Jae-won are younger brothers. Seol Young-woo said, “I couldn’t come to the national team last June because of surgery. It’s been a while since I came here, but I somehow had some juniors. In fact, I haven’t had much experience in the national team, but I also have juniors, so I wonder if I should take care of them or not. Actually, I will take care of what I can take care of, but they are all talented and experienced players. I think each of them will survive well.” 안전놀이터
“The national team and Seol Young-woo are now looking forward to the World Cup that will take place two years later. When you look at a national team, there are players who have played in many positions for a long time. Side defenders change every time they are called up, and their ages have gotten a lot younger. (Choi) Woo-jin and (Hwang) Jae-won have just joined the team despite their young age. They may be inferior in terms of experience, but they have gained enough experience in the K-League. They will gain more experience at the World Cup in two years.”
In addition, Seol said, “There will be more European leagues in the future, but I’m alone now anyway. You will have more experiences. I don’t think I will have too much to worry about if I teach my juniors a lot with those experiences. I’m most worried about myself than other players.”