Director Hong Myung-bo is determined to win the Jordan match. I expect him to get better in all aspects
Mar 24, 2025
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National team coach Hong Myung-bo, who will play against Jordan, expressed his will to win. Coach Hong went to a press conference at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 24th for the eighth Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup against Jordan. At the meeting, Hong said, `It's the second game after the first game. I want to finish it off well. I expect it to be better than the first game in every way. Players are also said to have improved a lot in terms of condition. We will finish with a good performance."
It is a game that needs a rebound. The national team drew 1-1 in Game 7 of the third qualifying round against Oman in Goyang on the 20th. Hwang Hee-chan's first goal took the lead, but after a lackluster development, Oman scored an equalizer at the end of the second half. The goal of confirming the North Korea-China World Cup finals early with two consecutive wins until the match against Jordan was also lit up.
The loss was also huge. After Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham) was taken out due to injury, Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) also injured his ankle. Even Jung Seung-hyun (Al Wasl) was on the injured list, resulting in a loss of power. Coach Hong excluded all three players from the national team's call-up list, but decided to prepare for the match against Jordan without selecting a substitute. The return of Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), who was injured in the match against Oman, is considered a boon.
Jordan defeated Palestine 3-1 in Game 7 of the previous third qualifying round. South Korea, which has played seven games, maintains its lead in Group B with 15 points, but the gap with second-place Jordan (12 points) is not large. If the team loses the match against Jordan, Hong Myung-bo could be forced to fight for the fate of going straight to the finals in Game 9-10 in June.
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-What's your resolution ahead of the match against Jordan.
▶ Prior to the economy, the country is in a state of national disaster due to recent wildfires. It is a serious condition, and I hope the forest fire will be extinguished as soon as possible. I will make sure to finish with a victory so that the national team can be a little supportive.
This is the second game after the first game. I want to finish it off well. I expect it to be better than the first game in every way. Players are also said to have improved a lot in terms of condition. I'll finish with a good performance.
-Although he was a full-time coach, he gave Jordan Altamari one goal-1 help. How you plan to stop it.
▶ He did not play in the first game. I think the player's skills and conditions are very good. During the last Asian Cup, he shared the player's movements with the players. He recognizes that he is a very threatening player. I think how to mark the player tomorrow will be a watershed moment in the game.
-Changes are inevitable due to injury issues, but whether the outline has been revealed.
▶It is natural that another player will play in the injured player position. There are some fresh players. However, organizational power cannot be ignored. I think we need to balance it well and prepare for the game.
-There is no Lee Kang-in, and it is unknown whether Hwang In-beom will play full time, but the plan to target dense defense is.
▶In the case of Oman, the relative dense defense could not be broken as a result. But there is definitely a way to break the dense defense. However, I think it's a time-consuming problem. I've played such a game before. I communicated with the players about how. I can't guarantee that the opponent will come out like arrogance, but the important thing is that we need to recognize what kind of situations we play and make smart plays.
-How to use it, such as changes in the position of front players such as Son Heung-min.
▶He has scored through positional changes. On the contrary, there were difficulties in defense due to the change in position. There was a situation in which the second-line pressure strength was not exerted at all. I'm constantly thinking about which part would be good.
-How much did Hwang In-beom's physical condition go up.
▶We are in a better condition than we thought. He also has a strong will. That's true, but at some point, there will be situations where you have to protect the player. I will prepare through training today.
-How do you use your new face.
▶I can't show you clearly, but I'm trying to use the prepared players. I think it's only possible if we go according to our plan or intention. I would like to use a fresh player among the current players.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
