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| ◇Sportschosun DB |
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| ◇Sportschosun DB |
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Can the national soccer team play again in Sangam, the 'World Cup semifinal site'.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced the schedule for the 9th-10th round of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup to be held in June on its website on the 18th (Korea time). South Korea, which will play an away match in Iraq and Kuwait at home, will play its ninth match against Iraq in Basra on June 6 and its final match against Kuwait at 8 p.m. on the 10th at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
The AFC announcement does not mean that Seoul will be held. The Korea Football Association, the main body of home game management, sent an official letter to AFC saying it would play the match against Kuwait in Seoul, and it was only accepted by the paperwork. If the ground condition of the Seoul World Cup Stadium is rejected in the AFC due diligence to be conducted in the future, an alternative stadium should be visited. AFC previously ordered the hosting of alternative stadiums due to the ground conditions of Gwangju and Jeonbuk home stadiums in the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) and the Asian Champions League 2 (ACL2). In the end, it depends on how the ground renovation at the Seoul World Cup Stadium will be evaluated in future due diligence.
The Seoul World Cup Stadium suffered from measles due to grass problems. The K League 1 schedule opened in February, but it was criticized for its worst ground condition. FC Seoul Jesse Lingard, who has more than 9 million SNS followers, suffered an international disgrace when he raised the lawn condition of the Seoul World Cup Stadium. Games 7-8 of the third qualifying round in March also failed to play due to grass problems.
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The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation said, "It was difficult to prepare in advance as this year's K-League began on February 22, the earliest in history, 16 days earlier than last year."On top of that, the cold wave continued until early March and the ground froze, causing excitation everywhere due to poor grass rooting and growth."," he added. The Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation continued to deliver expected problems due to the early opening of the K-League this year to the Professional Football Federation and asked for a certain coordination, but it was not accepted" he said. However, criticism of the poor grass management budget and insufficient operational conditions compared to profits has grown louder.
Even national team players who played A matches in Goyang and Suwon, not Seoul, joined the team. Son Heung-min "The ground condition is better during the away game. On the one hand, I think it's a pity, and on the other hand, it seems to make me think it's a relief"Even though there are many players with good skills, there are difficult situations like today's difficult control and dribbling because of the grass, but I think it's a pity that we can't play well and fast games in the eyes of the fans." I also hope those parts will improve a lot at home. I hope it improves as soon as possible," he said, calling for a quick change.
In the end, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation held an emergency meeting last month to resolve the grass problem. It has spent 3.3 billion won to repair grass, three times higher than 1.1 billion won last year. It was decided to replace some with hybrid grass, and to do soil and sowing work to increase the density. It promised to maintain the best state of grass by securing sufficient grass replacement volume and introducing advanced machines to help grow grass. In addition, ground ventilation (spiking), pest prevention reagents, and fertilizer supplies to the soil, as well as ground commitment and irrigation work will be carried out. It was also decided to establish a consultative body for grass management, improve the rental method, and consult with related organizations such as the Professional Football Federation.
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The Seoul World Cup Stadium is a soccer stadium that can accommodate about 66,000 people. It was built ahead of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup and held a big match against Germany, including the semifinals. If the match against Kuwait takes place in Sangam, Hong Myung-bo is expected to enjoy home advantage for the first time in a long time. He is leading the way with four wins, four draws and 16 points in eight games in the third qualifying round, and depending on the situation, he may make a celebration to the World Cup finals in Sangam.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
