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| 스포츠조선 DB |
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| 스포츠조선 DB |
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It's a fierce competition for the players and a concern for the coach. However, if everyone does well, it can be a happy concern.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, began experimental work for the 2026 North American World Cup during the A-match in September. Games where concerns about various strategies were revealed, the results were successful. In the process of going through experiments such as Son Heung-min's one-top and three-backs centered on Kim Min-jae, he scored one win and one draw against the U.S. and Mexico.
Now, the October A match is coming up again. Coach Hong will announce the call-up of the October list at 2 p.m. on the 29th in the conference room on the second floor of the soccer center in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Brazil and Paraguay will play in October's friendly matches. Paraguay has a slightly lower power than the United States and Mexico, but Brazil is different. Brazil, which will visit Korea again for the first time in three years and four months after the warm-up match in June 2022, gave Korea a 1-5 defeat at the time. It also suffered a 1-4 defeat to South Korea in the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar Games.
For South Korea, the performance of friendly matches is still important to protect the two ports of the World Cup, and South Korea, currently ranked 23rd in the FIFA rankings, is likely to allocate two ports. If it takes 23rd place or higher, it is certain that it will keep its position in Port 2. It is the first time in history that Korea has been named in Port 2. Although there is an increase in the number of participating countries, it cannot be ruled out that they have consistently tried to maintain their strong position in Asia. However, the results should be maintained before the draw in December.
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| The E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) match between South Korea and Japan at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 15th. Oh Se-hoon is heading at the Japanese gate. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.15/ |
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The good news is the performance of the national team's front-line resources. In particular, Cho Kyu-sung, who served as the national team's vanguard, properly reported his return. Cho Kyu-sung played as a substitute in the ninth round of the Super Liga in the 2025-2026 season at MCH Arena in Henning, Denmark, on the 21st and scored his second goal of the season. Despite playing for a short time by scoring and replacing in two consecutive games following the previous game, he improved his scoring ability. This is the result of enduring time. It was his first return shot in 493 days after scoring against AGF on May 12, 2024. Cho Kyu-sung, who underwent knee surgery after the 2023-2024 season, has complications and had to spend more than a year on treatment and rehabilitation, not soccer. After his dream return, he started scoring again and began to revive the spark of his return to the national team. Cho Kyu-sung has no reason not to be selected if he is a player who has already completed World Cup verification at the Qatar tournament and has 100% form.
If Cho Kyu-sung returns, Oh Se-hoon is by far the most threatened player on the front line. Oh has only scored two goals in 26 games for his team this season. The last score was against Cerezo Osaka on August 16, but he had been silent for about three months before that. The national team's position was also shaken, and it played only 27 minutes in the A match in September. Considering that the playing time is decreasing in his team, a rebound is essential.
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| The E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) match between South Korea and Hong Kong at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 11th. Lee Ho-jae is cheering after scoring an additional goal. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.11/ |
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Another player who can emerge as an option is Lee Ho-jae. Lee Ho-jae has already experienced aboard the Hong Myung-bo through the East Asian Cup. Along with his first career experience as a national team player, he also scored his A-match debut goal. Since he has not fully melted into the national team yet, he needs to think about how to adapt and use it, but considering his performance in K League 1 this season, there is a possibility of choosing. Lee Ho-jae is tied for second in scoring with 13 goals in the league this season. If he becomes the top scorer in the K League 1, his chances of joining the national team in the future may increase further.
Moreover, in September, coach Hong Myung-bo clearly checked the performance of one of the best tactics of the national team called 'striker Son Heung-min'. Son Heung-min scored two goals in September's A-match alone and showed off his different scoring ability. It is an option that can add a certain weight to the front line of the national team.
Even if Son Heung-min plays on the front line of the national team, a tall striker who can add a right to offer with height is highly likely to be selected. This is why the competition between the three players is important. However, considering Son Heung-min's presence and Oh Hyun-kyu's position as a super Joker, there may be only one place to go to North and Central America in front of the three players. Coach Hong Myung-bo is expected to draw great attention to whether any players will form an offensive team this October.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
