Coach Hong Myung-bo pointed out that filling Son Heung-min’s gap is the key point of the match against Jordan.
Hong’s task is to fill not only the vacancy of Son on the pitch but also the void felt outside the stadium. Considering how Son’s presence as well as his tactical importance affects the atmosphere of the team, it is something to be pointed out as important enough.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play the third Group B match against Jordan at the Amman International Stadium in Amman, Jordan’s capital, at 11 p.m. on the 10th (Korea time).
Currently, South Korea maintains four points along with Jordan and Iraq, but is in second place in Group B, losing the top spot in the rankings to Jordan after falling behind in the scoring record.
Team Hong Myung-bo, which started anew for the first time in 10 years, had one win and one draw in two consecutive matches against Palestine (home) and Oman (away) last month, and achieved a half success. Korea, which had a scoreless draw even after bringing home Palestine, ranked 98th in FIFA, won the away match in Oman thanks to the performance of its captain Son Heung-min, who scored one goal and two assists.
As South Korea, Jordan, and Iraq won four points side by side in the first two games of the third qualifying round, the third and fourth games that will be held during the A-match period in October have become more important. This is because the results of the two consecutive games may determine the lead of Group B alone.
Although the number of tickets to the World Cup finals has increased to 48, Hong Myung-bo must secure enough points in two October A matches when he meets Jordan and Iraq, the leading contenders, because he has to play additional qualifying playoffs if he fails to finish first or second in each group.
Ahead of an important match, Team Hong began training in earnest two days before the match. Meeting reporters before the training, Hong said, “He seemed to have accumulated a bit of fatigue due to long-distance flight and jet lag, but when asked by reporters if he was tired, he replied, “It is okay.”
“Still, I think I have more time and flight distance compared to last time. I think the players will be a little more comfortable,” Hong said. “The upcoming call-up is better in terms of physical strength compared to the September A-match.”
According to a source from the Korea Football Association, other European soccer players also visited Jordan on Sunday night and early morning on Saturday. Seol, who was the latest to arrive in Jordan, reportedly arrived at the airport at 4 a.m. on Sunday.
Although foreign players arrived a little later than expected, Hong said, “It’s better than last time. Last time, some players came the day before the game. Still, this time, they came two days before the game. I have to recover today and train tomorrow finally, but I have no choice. Still, I think it’s better than last time.”
As such, October has more time to spare compared to September. This means that unlike September, when the team was in a hurry to win, Coach Hong Myung-bo also had time to prepare to wear tactical colors.
“We have something to prepare for this game as well as the next match against Iraq,” Hong said. “But I think the outcome is important because how much we can do it or not depends on the outcome. The direction we prepare can change depending on the result.”
“That’s why the upcoming two consecutive games are very important. In a way, the opponent team is the strongest among the games that we have to play. That’s why not only the coaching staff but also the players are probably aware of the fact that this call-up is more important than any other time,” he added.
Two days before the game, the most interesting thing is “Plan B” mentioned by head coach Hong Myung-bo.
Coach Hong Myung-bo said, “We have prepared Plan B for the possibility that Son Heung-min, the captain of the national team, who was injured when the A-match list was announced in October last month, will not be able to play or be excluded from the national team’s call-up at all.” He did not specifically mention a certain player or talk about tactical things, but it was clear that he prepared for Son’s absence.
When asked about Plan B to Hong, he said, “As a result, we have a player or a tactic to replace Son, and the key is which player will play in the match and what kind of performance we will show.” “There is no Plan B that can change everything tactically and completely. Due to lack of time to prepare, it is difficult to try to change the tactics against Palestine or Oman from the beginning. It is important how much the player in the match will perform and at what timing we will change.”
“Someone has to play (in place of Son Heung-min) anyway. So, depending on how much the player gives, it could be a plan B or something else,” he added.
When asked how Son Heung-min’s absence seems to have affected the atmosphere of the team, head coach Hong Myung-bo said, “I think it has an impact because Son Heung-min has played a pivotal role in the national team, but I think it is important to fill those things as a team because individual players are not in a situation where they can fill it,” adding, “As a result, that is the key to the match against Jordan.”
The player who replaced Son Heung-min with the captain’s armband is Kim Min-jae.
Coach Hong Myung-bo said, “We had a general meeting with our coaching staff and players today, and we informed them that Kim Min-jae has become the captain. We chose Kim Min-jae as the captain and Lee Jae-seong as the vice-captain,” adding, “We chose Kim Min-jae as the captain because he is in a position where he can control the overall situation of the game and even coach while watching the flow of the game. We also considered his influence within the team. We also considered the fact that many new and young players have joined the national team. Overall, we agreed that Kim Min-jae should be the captain, and we set Kim as the captain today.”
Attention is also focusing on which player will be chosen as captain Kim Min-jae’s defensive partner. However, Hong Myung-bo said, “That is very important not only for the immediate future but also for the future of the national team. I think I will have to think about it until tomorrow before making a decision.”
It’s not just about fighting for the second term without Son Heung-min and Kim Min-jae’s partner position. Kim Seung-gyu, who suffered a cruciate ligament rupture during the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup, returned to the national team for the first time in about nine months, and the goalkeeper position also has a competitive structure again.
Asked about the competition system for goalkeepers, head coach Hong Myung-bo also agreed, saying, “Of course.” “Kim Seung-gyu has played an important role in the national team, but he has been away for a while due to injuries. Kim Seung-gyu is now back from his injury, and I think the competition system will continue because Cho Hyun-woo is doing well.”
South Korea has three wins, three draws and one loss against Jordan, but its recent record is not good. In particular, it met Jordan twice at the 2023 Asian Cup and won one draw and one loss, including a bitter semi-final loss.
What was the problem that Hong Myung-bo, who was outside the national team at the time, thought of? “It’s not good to talk about the team in the past,” Hong said. “If we talk about one part, I think there were difficulties when there was a ball and when there was no ball.”
Coach Hong said, “I think it’s important not to isolate players when they have the ball. Park Yong-woo’s mistake in the match against Jordan is also okay if there is someone next to him due to the nature of Park Yong-woo, but because he was isolated, someone could not help Park Yong-woo on the street. Based on the last Asian Cup, I started to see those parts and I thought I should improve them.”
Jordan, like South Korea, replaced its head coach in July. In other words, it is a different team from Jordan we met during the Asian Cup. 메이저사이트
Coach Hong Myung-bo said, “I think I’m very strong,” over Jordan, who has been undefeated in four games since the manager’s change. “Of course, I don’t know exactly whether major players will play, but I have good players and confidence. Moreover, they beat us at the last Asian Cup, and I think their confidence at home will be better than before. If we don’t prepare thoroughly, we can have difficulties, so we’re talking about those parts well with the players.”
It is positive that the analysis was convenient because Jordan’s national defender Yazan Al-Rab plays for K League 1 FC Seoul.
Coach Hong Myung-bo said, “He has good passing ability and physical ability,” but added, “But he is also preparing for that because he has weaknesses.”
Finally, when asked if the change to Yongin Mir Stadium rather than Seoul World Cup Stadium in the fourth game against Iraq would be a variable, Hong Myung-bo said, “I don’t think so. I think better grass will be an advantage for our players,” adding, “It is better.”
