2024-03-13 22:01:00
South Korea’s Baek Seung-ho is roaring with his hands clenched right following scoring a goal in the 2022 Qatar World Cup round of 16 match between Korea and Brazil held at Stadium 974 in Doha, Qatar, on the followingnoon of the 5th (local time). © AFP=News1 © News1 Reporter Kim Seong-sik
With interim coach Hwang Seon-hong taking the reins, a new wind is predicted for the national soccer team. Attention is being paid to whether there will be changes in the midfield, where there was a clear strong player.
On the 11th, coach Hwang Seon-hong announced the 23 players who will participate in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asian qualifier two-game series once morest Thailand (21st and 26th).
The national team, which is starting anew following coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s dismissal, has many players who were selected for the first time, such as Jeong Ho-yeon (Gwangju), Joo Min-gyu, and Lee Myung-jae (Ulsan), as well as players such as Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham) and Eom Won-sang (Ulsan) who have worn the Taegeuk symbol for the first time in a long time. .
In particular, big changes are expected in the central midfield lineup, which includes first-time selection Jeong Ho-jin and returning Baek Seung-ho.
Jeong Ho-jin, who won the K League 1 Young Player Award last year, is a resource whose skills have grown rapidly under the training of coach Lee Jeong-hyo at Gwangju FC. His activity level is wide and his positioning is good, so he has the advantage of balancing offense and defense.
Baek Seung-ho was consistently selected for the national team during his tenure as coach Paulo Bento, but he has not had an international match since the 2022 Qatar World Cup round of 16 match once morest Brazil in December 2022. However, his condition has improved as he continues to play for Birmingham City in the English second division.
Jeong Ho-yeon (right) defending Lingard (provided by the Korea Professional Football League)
The midfield was considered the most disappointing part of the national team that played in the last Asian Cup. Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) held on in the defense and Son Heung-min (Tottenham) was at the forefront, but the overall balance was not right, so the gap between offense and defense widened. In the end, Hwang In-beom (Zvezda) and Park Yong-woo (Al Ain) alone were not able to provide effective coverage, exposing loopholes in both defensive protection and offensive development.
In this entry, Hwang In-beom was selected once more, but Park Yong-woo was excluded. Additionally, as Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) is injured, Lee Jae-seong (Mainz) is highly likely to move to a forward position. In this case, at least 1-2 positions must be filled with new faces.
In short, the place where there is the greatest room and need for change is the midfield.
Hwang Seon-hong, the interim coach of the national soccer team, is announcing the list of players who will participate in the 3rd and 4th matches of Group C of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asia 2nd qualifying round at the Soccer Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 11th. 2024.3.11/News1 © News1 Reporter Min Kyung-seok
So, attention is focused on the new midfield combination centered on New Face. First of all, Jeong Ho-jin can cover a wide range, which can help balance offense and defense more than before. The lack of international match experience is a variable, but the calm build-up is also an advantage.
Baek Seung-ho has high utility value as he can play both defensive and attacking midfielder. Unlike Coach Klinsmann’s tactics, Coach Hwang Sun-hong may have two midfielders to protect the front of the defense to ease the defensive burden on Hwang In-beom.
Wing midfielder Eom Won-sang is also a sufficient resource to create a new sensation. Eom Won-sang, who has the opportunity to play in the A match once more following 1 year and 8 months since the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E1 Championship in July 2022, has good speed and is a good card to increase the attack tempo.
Meanwhile, Jeong Ho-jin, Baek Seung-ho, and Eom Won-sang are all members who collaborated with coach Hwang Sun-hong to win a gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, and coach Hwang Sun-hong understands their style well.
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