"The match against Mexico, a good chance to see the competitiveness of the players again!"
It was the determination of A national team coach Hong Myung-bo. Team A, led by head coach Hong, will play a friendly match against Mexico at 10 a.m. on the 10th (Korea time) at Geodie Park in Nashville, Tennessee. Mexico, the host of the 2026 North-China World Cup along with the U.S. and Canada, is 'North-China America's 'blasphemy' without explanation. It is 13th in the FIFA rankings, the highest among North and Central American countries, and also topped the Central American Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF) Gold Cup, which recently ended.
South Korea has four wins, two draws and eight losses with a total of 14 clashes, including meeting in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup in France and the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In fact, Mexico's home atmosphere is expected to be created, and it is the best rehearsal in all aspects, including power. In an official press conference held on the 9th, Hong said, `I'm happy to play against a strong team like Mexico. I think it's a good opportunity to see the competitiveness of the players again."
South Korea gained momentum with a 2-0 complete victory over the U.S. in Harrison, New Jersey, on the 7th. The national team using the 3-4-2-1 card received favorable reviews for its stable performance. Coach Hong said, `I had only two days after the game against the United States, so I couldn't completely relieve my fatigue, but some players are preparing for it, so I'll watch the training today and prepare for tomorrow.'
There is bad news. 'Unsung Hero' Lee Jae-sung was called off early. Lee Jae-sung, who injured his right hamstring in the match against the U.S., came over to Nashville for now, but returned to Germany at the request of his team Mainz. Lee Jae-sung played the best as an attacking midfielder against the U.S. Coach Hong said "Lee Jae-sung is an important player in our team, and it is regrettable that he was called off without being able to join us until the end."I look forward to recovering quickly and returning to the playground" he said.
Attention is also focusing on whether Kim Min-jae will use a three-back centered on him and Son Heung-min's one-top tactic. Coach Hong said, `Son Heung-min's performance in the last game was very good. I think it went well as we prepared. I'll check what I've prepared for today for the last time, and make sure it shows up on the field" he said. Then "The players did a good job when they played three-back against the U.S. I haven't decided on my plans for tomorrow, and I think I need to think about the composition of the players"It doesn't matter much whether it's a three-back or a four-back, and the process of how to build up is key."
At the press conference together, Kim Min-jae said "The players showed good performance in the game against the U.S. There were new players who played together, and they were very good and matched well with the team, he said. "We are preparing well for this game as well." "I've experienced both three-backs and four-backs in my team," Kim Min-jae said. "I'm preparing for the game by thinking a lot defensively because I'm standing in the middle of the three-backs and covering and recovering more from the back than the players in front of me."
Mexico has many outstanding strikers, including Raul Jimenez, who scored 42 goals in 117 A matches. Kim Min-jae's role is important. Kim Min-jae said, `Mexico has good strikers' physical and personal skills. Since there are players with excellent speed, offensive players should also participate in defense, and I think if one player goes out on the defense side, the players who play backward should cover well," he stressed.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
