Brazil's Hong Myung-bo's determination to face again in three years and Baek Seung-ho's unwillingness to lose is important → Cho Yoo-min needs to defend strongly

Oct 06, 2025

Photo =Korea Football Association

The South Korean national soccer team, which faces Brazil again, was determined.

Hong Myung-bo, who entered the A-match schedule in October, held his first training session in October at Goyang Stadium on the 6th. The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play friendly matches against Brazil on the 10th and Paraguay on the 14th at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. There is no stopping in September's performance of overpowering the United States and playing havoc with Mexico. It is difficult to ignore not only Brazil, but also Paraguay, which is a dark horse in South America.

South Korea began preparing for the World Cup in earnest from the A match in September. Coach Hong Myung-bo began experimenting with the U.S. and Mexico with his formidable power. He devised a clear strategy to record effective hits against strong teams in the World Cup finals, including Son Heung-min's one-top tactic and three-back centered on Kim Min-jae, and applied it to the real game. The experiment was successful. He accepted a report card of one win and one draw in two consecutive away games in the U.S. There is still a lot of work left to say 100%, but he completed the first step of the preparation process safely and announced a pleasant start.

However, Brazil is a strong opponent. The A match between Korea and Brazil is the first in about three years since the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. At that time, he lost 1-4, and Baek Seung-ho's comeback goal was the only comfort.

Baek Seung-ho, who met with reporters including Yonhap News ahead of the first training session in October, said, "I was lucky enough to score against Brazil."I scored a goal against Brazil on the stage I had dreamed of since I was young, and I was so amazed and happy that I wondered if this was a dream or a live performance. I'm looking forward to it as there are many world-famous players. We lost the game at the World Cup, so we will play well at home this time. I think I will be able to play a good game if I trust myself and do it confidently. We have to unite as one, and the heart that doesn't want to lose is the most important."

Baek Seung-ho has been a key player in Birmingham City since last season and has been promoted to the English Championship (second division) this season. He also joined the A-match in September and started against the U.S., contributing to a 2-0 victory. Coach Hong Myung-bo did not exclude Baek Seung-ho from the A-match list this October. "I think I've gained confidence and improved my performance by competing and dealing with players with good physical and individual skills in the championship. The championship has a very large number of games, and if young players come to a league with a lot of games like this, they can use it as an opportunity to show their skills even if it's hard."

Competition in the national team's midfield has intensified since Jens Kastrov joined the team in September. Prominent seniors such as Hwang In-beom and Lee Jae-sung and young and promising players such as Lee Kang-in, Castrov and Kim Jin-kyu are also ready to play in the competition. Baek Seung-ho said, "Competition has always been there"There are only a few call-ups to the main election, so we have to do well when we have the opportunity."

Photo =Korea Football Association

Cho Yoo-min, who was unable to play against Brazil at the last Qatar Games, also had the same mindset. Cho Yoo-min, who appeared in front of reporters before the first training session, said, `It's my first time playing against Brazil, so I'm looking forward to it. I think we can learn a lot because it's a stronger team than us. I'm more excited than nervous. If you give yourself some time and keep your distance, you do everything you want to do. Rather, they have to stick together dirty and defend strongly. I'm going to give it a try if I get into the game."

Cho Yoo-min expressed regret that Neymar, the star player of the opponent Brazil, was eliminated due to an injury this time. He said "Even if he was beaten by Neymar, I wanted to try to defend defensively once. I'm looking forward to it as there are many other good players in Brazil. Igor Jeju (Nottingham) said, "I have played in the Middle East, so I think it's worth it."

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.