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| The official press conference for the first round of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. was held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 4th. Son Heung-min is doing an interview. Sangam = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.04/ |
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| Photo = Korean Professional Football League |
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| Photo = Korean Professional Football League |
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Kim Ki-dong and Hwang Sun-hong, who are senior to the Korean national team captain Son Heung-min's remarks, also helped lead the K-League teams.
FC Seoul and Daejeon Hana Citizen will play in the 30th round of Hana Bank K League 2024 at Sangam World Cup Stadium on the 14th. Hwang Sun-hong and Kim Ki-dong, who met with reporters before the game, also spoke about the controversy over the grass at the Sangam World Cup Stadium, where the game will be held.
Sangam World Cup Stadium is the place where the first Group B match of the third Asian budget group match of the 2026 North-China World Cup between the South Korean national soccer A team and Palestine was held during the A-match in September. At that time, the game ended 0-0.
South Korean national team captain Son Heung-min said after the game as if he had made a decision. It was a regret for the grass. Son Heung-min said, `There are a lot of good players. There were difficulties in ball control or dribbling. Fans must have felt sorry for not being able to play at a fast tempo. I hope it improves when I do it at home. On the one hand, it is regrettable that the away game ground is in better condition. On the other hand, I feel fortunate", he pointed out about Sangam grass. On the other hand, the home stadium of the Oman national team, where the Korean national team played away, boasted better grass than Sangam, further lamenting fans and players.
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| The official press conference for the first round of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. was held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 4th. Son Heung-min is doing an interview. Sangam = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.04/ |
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Sangam's turf controversy has been constantly raised regardless of national team and K-League games. FC Seoul players, who are using Sangam World Cup Stadium as their home stadium, have also expressed dissatisfaction.
The grass problem is a problem that goes directly to the players' performance. Players, including Son Heung-min, have no choice but to raise their voices. However, the grass condition of Sangam World Cup Stadium, which is constantly used as a stage for A matches, is a problem every game. Soccer fans are bound to be sensitive to some large-scale concerts held in Sangam.
Hwang Sun-hong and Kim Ki-dong, who represented the K League and were senior players, also spoke out on the grass issue.
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| Photo = Korean Professional Football League |
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| Photo = Korean Professional Football League |
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Coach Hwang said, `We also have various difficulties at the training ground. Recently, the K-League has improved a lot, and the level and quality have improved considerably. Wouldn't the players be able to produce better performances only when the reflective conditions match that. I think that the players will be able to play better only when they consider such an environment and put a lot of effort into it. It's one of the things that I'm disappointed in."
Coach Kim also said "It's a bit unfortunate" and "The audience should watch the quality game, but if there is an easy control mistake or pass mistake inside the ground, the player gets annoyed, and the audience can think "Why can't a professional player do that?" I think it's a little disappointing that I can't show quality football because of the stadium."
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| The match between South Korea and Palestine in the third qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup was held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 5th. South Korea's Son Heung-min, who had a 0-0 draw, is disappointed.Sangam = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.04/ |
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Meanwhile, the Korea Football Association will also try to resolve the turf controversy that began with Son Heung-min's remarks. The home game of the third qualifying round against Iraq, which will be held during the A-match in October, was considered to be held at a place other than Sangam World Cup Stadium. The Korea Football Association pointed out a lot of bad grass conditions at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. At the level of the Korea Football Association, internal discussions will begin on the issue of relocating the home stadium. He has applied for a loan to play the third qualifying home game at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. The grass condition is not improving. Internally, we have begun to come up with alternatives. The national team players are also expressing discontent about whether they should continue playing in a bad state of grass.
However, even if the national team's game is played in another place, the venue cannot be changed until the match of FC Seoul, which uses Sangam World Cup Stadium as its home. As K-League managers have added their voices after Son Heung-min, more attention is expected to be paid to the efforts that the management organizations of the Seoul World Cup Stadium will show.
digh1229@sportschosun.com
