More pronounced Hong Myung-bo's absolute one option, perhaps more important than Son Heung-min, player Hwang In-beom is concerned about frequent injuries

Nov 19, 2025

More pronounced Hong Myung-bo's absolute one option, perhaps more important than Son Heung-min, player Hwang In-beom is concerned about frequent injuries
Photo=feyenoord



More pronounced Hong Myung-bo's absolute one option, perhaps more important than Son Heung-min, player Hwang In-beom is concerned about frequent injuries
Sportschosun DB
The difference between Hwang In-beom and him is this big.

South Korea's A national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, won 1-0 in an A-match friendly match against Ghana at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 18th. South Korea finished the final A match with a victory in 2025.

Three consecutive wins without losing a point against Paraguay. The record looks pretty good, but the content is not satisfactory. In particular, in the two A-match games in November, he was exposed not to play his role in the waist. While Hwang In-beom and Baek Seung-ho were out due to injuries, head coach Hong Myung-bo experimented with a combination of Kim Jin-kyu and Won Doo-jae in the match against Bolivia and Jens Castrov and Kwon Hyuk-kyu in the match against Ghana. The highly anticipated European big league duo Castrov and Kwon Hyuk-kyu were below expectations.




It was difficult for strikers in front to receive the ball as they failed to hold steady possession in the midfield. As they struggled with the pressure of the opponent, there were more monotonous attacks that went from defense to offense at once. This pattern of attack is not the way South Korea is good at attack.
More pronounced Hong Myung-bo's absolute one option, perhaps more important than Son Heung-min, player Hwang In-beom is concerned about frequent injuries
A warm-up match between the national soccer team and Paraguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 14th. Hwang In-beom tries to pass between Paraguay players. Sangam = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.10.14/
When the pass did not come from the midfield, Lee Kang-in continued to come down and help. With the number of attacks already low using three backs, if Lee Kang-in comes down to the bottom, Son Heung-min will be isolated, causing problems in the attack. In the second half of the match against Ghana, the performance improved as Seo Min-woo and Kim Jin-kyu came in, but there was still a regret in the midfield.

Coach Hong Myung-bo also said in a press conference after the game that `the first half did not go smoothly in the overall game. The midfield play didn't go well,' he said, pointing out the problem in the midfield. It was an A match in November where Hwang In-beom felt his absence. Hwang In-beom has been injured frequently this season, so he has not contributed much to the national team. While even Park Yong-woo, whom head coach Hong Myung-bo cherished, is unable to participate in the World Cup due to a ruptured cruciate ligament, it will be worrisome if Hwang In-beom continues to suffer more injuries.
More pronounced Hong Myung-bo's absolute one option, perhaps more important than Son Heung-min, player Hwang In-beom is concerned about frequent injuries
A match warm-up match between the national soccer team and Brazil held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. Hwang In-beom breaks through. Sangam = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.10.10/
Even if there are Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Kim Min-jae in the back, South Korea's performance cannot be good if there is no player to play a role in the midfield. The continued midfield experiment is also aimed at finding a player who will eventually play the role of Hwang In-beom's partner. As Hwang In-beom, who has to be the commander of South Korea in the midfield, he has a great responsibility.

Director Hong Myung-bo also seems to have been feeling Hwang In-beom's absence. "It is important to have the capability of offense and defense in the midfield. This A-match is difficult, but if other players come in, it can be solved to some extent,' he said, adding that if Hwang In-beom returns, the problem in the midfield will improve.




The most frustrating thing about the injury is the player himself. Since moving to Feyenoord in the Netherlands, he has been injured frequently. This is the fourth injury this year alone. It's all the more worrisome that the calf is constantly experiencing problems. It is important for key players to go to the World Cup together without injury, but it is also important what kind of performance they go to. This is because participation in the World Cup is not the purpose of South Korea. When Hwang In-beom's physical condition improves, Hong Myung-bo's waist will also be solid.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.