'Temporary captaincy only helps'Son Heung-min's vacancy, Hong Myung-bo 'New Leader'Kim Min-jae's leadership'2nd consecutive win' It's up to the players in the end
Oct 16, 2024
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It was a month ago. Coach Hong Myung-bo, who returned as the head coach of the A team for the first time in 10 years, took his first step through the match against Palestine (0-0 draw). But 'Fact' had nowhere to put it, and boos and taunts were infested. Kim Min-jae hit it all by himself.
The two consecutive A matches in October were another cliffhanger because of the shaking. To make matters worse, Son Heung-min (Tottenham) failed to join the A-team due to a hamstring (back muscle of the thigh). Kim Min-jae took on the heavy responsibility of 'temporary captain'.
It was a 'happy ending'. Hong Myung-bo defeated Jordan and Iraq in turn. South Korea, which silenced Jordan 2-0 in the away game on the 10th, beat Iraq 3-2 in the fourth Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the 15th.
Hong Myung-bo won three consecutive games. Group B's lead position has become more solid. South Korea has gained 10 points (three wins, one draw) and widened the gap with Iraq (seven points, two wins, one draw and one loss) to three points. Jordan defeated Oman 4-0 on the 16th, but the point difference with Hong Myung-bo was three points. Jordan, which has the same points as Iraq, was in second place ahead of goal difference.
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I finally smiled after the Iraq war. Kim Min-jae said, `I scored two goals at home, but I think it's good that I got three points. It was an important time, but it was good to win two consecutive games.' And I didn't think it was an argument. All the players worked hard and resulted in good performance," he said, giving credit to his colleagues.
He bowed his head about the atmosphere of the stadium where boos and mockery disappeared. He laughed, `I'm grateful that I was able to play well in a good atmosphere because you cheered me a lot.'
The power of winning three games in a row was 'football'. Rather than being different, Kim Min-jae said, "To be honest, whether it's loud inside or loud outside, the atmosphere is what the players make in the end," adding, "I tried to make all the players pay attention, and go to a good atmosphere when training and living." I think that's why I was able to play in a good atmosphere."
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Kim Min-jae, the core of the defense line, played with Cho Yoo-min (Sharja), who was born in 1996, in two consecutive games against Jordan and Iraq. He also showed good performance when looking at the results. It's been a long time since I started with Yu-min. Still, there was no more difficulty than I thought because I had a history of running. I don't care what kind of players I play with," he smiled.
The third qualifying round will continue. South Korea will play two consecutive away games against Kuwait and Palestine in November. Kim Min-jae said "The first thing is not to get hurt in the team. I lost a point, but I played a good game today. It's important to come with this feeling."
He has suffered ups and downs at Bayern Munich since the middle of last season. This season, he revived and re-established himself as a leading centerback. Under the trust of the new head coach, Vinset Kompany, 'monster' has regained the prestige of 'monster'.
He also has a murderous schedule in Bayern Munich, saying, `It's hard every season. It's hard for any player to play in a game. It is important to take good care of your body so that you don't get hurt.' It was two consecutive A matches in October, when Kim Min-jae's value stood out.
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