In Oman, where Hong Myung-bo was waiting, the atmosphere of the World Cup was not felt at all yet. There were no common banners hanging near the stadium, and people were faithful to their livelihoods instead of soccer.
The national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play Oman in the second Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North and Central America (co-hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico) at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat, Oman, at 11 p.m. on the 10th (Korea time).
It is an important match for both Oman and the national team. The national team finished the match against Palestine 0-0 at home on May 5. It was squeaky from the first game as it failed to win three points against Palestine, which it should have caught.
If it fails to win the away match in Oman, there is a possibility that the initial momentum will be greatly reduced considering the schedule in the future, and a red light will be turned on for the World Cup finals.
The national team will face Iraq at home after visiting Jordan in October. In November, two consecutive away games are waiting for Kuwait and Palestine in the Middle East. Most of the games are away games until the match against Palestine in November, which will turn the halfway point, so we need to secure as many points as possible. This is why three points of the Oman Wonjeong are important.
The same goes for Oman as it desperately needs a win. As Oman lost to Iraq 0-1, it became the only team in Group B to have failed to score a point. If it fails to win against the national team, it will lose two consecutive wins, which could wipe out its hope of advancing to the World Cup finals.
With about four days left before the important showdown, there was not much interest in soccer in Oman. There were no banners promoting the common game around the Sultan Qaboos sports complex where the game would be held. It was a different atmosphere from Korea, which has been promoting a large-scale campaign by hanging banners long before the game day.
Neither did the people. Most people didn’t pay that much attention to soccer. Some weren’t even aware that the Korean and Oman teams will face off next week.
On his way to the stadium, the taxi driver asked why he was visiting the stadium, and when he said, “There will be a game there next Tuesday,” he asked back, “Is that true?” What is surprising is that the taxi driver knew that the Omani national team lost to Iraq 0-1 on the previous day. Nevertheless, interest in the upcoming match against Korea was less than expected.
Mutra Souk, Oman’s largest traditional market, was also relatively quiet, making people wonder if this country is right for the World Cup. It was the same here that I couldn’t see promotional posters.
Merchants were also busy making a living. When asked if he doesn’t like soccer, his answer was “busy working all day long.” Those who had limited time were not the ones who had enough time to be interested in soccer. It was natural that no one could remember the “Pride Shock” that took place in Muscat, Oman 21 years ago. 메이저놀이터
It was surprising, but on the other hand, the little attention raised expectations that the national team would be able to relieve some pressure. For the national team, it would be a great opportunity to shake off the painful memory of losing 1-3 in October 2003.