He showed why he won the first Taegeuk mark → A match until his debut! Kastrov impresses with impressive Hong Myung-bo options even in replacement appearance

Sep 07, 2025

He showed why he won the first Taegeuk mark → A match until his debut! Kastrov impresses with impressive Hong Myung-bo options even in replacement appearance
Photo =Korea Football Association



He showed why he won the first Taegeuk mark → A match until his debut! Kastrov impresses with impressive Hong Myung-bo options even in replacement appearance
Photo =Korea Football Association
Jens Kastroff made his A-match debut. He showed impressive performance despite his short playing time.

The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, won the first A match in September against the U.S. national team 2-0 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, on the 7th (Korea time).

Hong launched a 3-4-2-1 formation against the U.S. Son Heung-min (LA FC) is on the one-top, while Lee Jae-sung (Minutes) and Lee Dong-kyung (Kim Chun) are on the back of the second line. Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City) and Kim Jin-kyu (Jeonbuk) were the defensive midfielders. The wingbacks were composed of Lee Tae-seok (Austria Vienna) and Seol Young-woo (Zvezda), and the three-backs were composed of Kim Joo-sung (Hiroshima), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Han-beom (Mit Willan). Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan) defended the goal.




He showed why he won the first Taegeuk mark → A match until his debut! Kastrov impresses with impressive Hong Myung-bo options even in replacement appearance
Photo =Korea Football Association
Hong Myung-bo had an important vacancy ahead of the A match this September. It is the departure of Hwang In-beom (29, Feyenoord) who is the "Hong Myung-ho-bo Engine". It was Jens Kastroff who gained high expectations as a player to fill the vacancy. Born to a Korean mother and a German father, Kastroff moved from the German Football Association (DFB) to the Korean Football Association (KFA) and wore the national flag. A player who can play both defensive '6' and technical and active '8', and a fighter-like grit on the German stage, so he can revitalize the Korean national team's midfield.

It has been announced that it will conduct a full-fledged inspection from the A match in September. Coach Hong also selected the coach based only on the economic aspect. The type is different from that of the third-term players now. I hope that he will adapt quickly and his passion will become an advantage and revitalize him." Attention will also be drawn to which players Castrov will work with to form the midfield during the A-match in September.

Castrov, who went straight to the U.S. from Germany, received great attention from his appearance in the national team. Coach Hong greeted the players as well as the players, and the players with German experience helped them adapt. Ahead of the game, Kastrov said, `I want to help the national team play well in the World Cup as well. Being here has already been a dream come true. I want to show my skills so that the coach can choose me at the World Cup." Coach Hong was also an important player for the formation of the national team's midfield in the future. Along with training, he began to melt into team tactics, and immediately made the replacement list first in the first A match in September.




He showed why he won the first Taegeuk mark → A match until his debut! Kastrov impresses with impressive Hong Myung-bo options even in replacement appearance
Photo =Korea Football Association
Castrov made his debut for the Korean national team in the 19th minute of the second half as a substitute. Kastroff stood out for his concise connection and defense in the defensive camp, and his pressure and quick movements in the offensive camp. In particular, the amount of activity moving non-stop in the midfield and the steady off-the-ball movement to receive the ball were impressive. In the 37th minute of the second half, he even tried to de-pressurize and attack in the midfield through direct dribbling. The stable defense of the ball against the U.S. midfield caught the eye.

Since it was the first game, there couldn't be a scene that was disappointing. In the 32nd minute of the second half, he gave up a free kick opportunity near the box with an unreasonable tackle during the defense process. Pulisic's shot as a kicker did not go to the goal, but unnecessary foul management seems inevitably important in the future performance process.

Nevertheless, he has fully shown the possibility of being a player who can greatly contribute to the Korean national team's midfield in the future. During the 27 minutes, the performance was also confirmed in figures such as 88% pass success rate, one clearing, two interceptions, two restoration of public ownership, and two successful contests.








This article was translated by Naver AI translator.