"Mistake" Kim Min-jae, "Silence" Lee Kang-in, "Good Good" Returning Home" Director Hong Myung-bo, even if he shakes an apple "Keep it up for this year."→
Nov 22, 2024
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However, national team coach Hong Myung-bo as well as Taegeuk Warriors such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) are enduring. He is also close to reaching the World Cup finals for the 11th time in a row.
Hong Myung-bo has completed all of this year's journey. Overseas players returned to their teams, and coach Hong and other K Leaguers returned home on the 21st. The third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North Korea-China World Cup will resume in March next year. South Korea will play two consecutive home games against Oman and Jordan. If they win two consecutive games, they can confirm their early advance to the World Cup.
From the North Korea-China World Cup, the number of countries that advance to the finals will increase from 32 to 48. In Asia, 8.5 tickets were also allocated, up from 4.5 to 4. In the third qualifying round, the first and second places in each group will win a ticket to the World Cup finals. The 3rd and 4th places will go to the 4th qualifying round, while the 5th and 6th places will be eliminated.
In July, Hong, who returned as the head coach of the national team for the first time in 10 years, led six games and had no loss. South Korea is ranked first in Group B with 14 points (4 wins and 2 draws). Iraq (3 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss) is in second place with 11 points, and Jordan (2 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss) is in third place with 9 points.
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Hong Myung-bo had one win and one draw in two straight A matches in November. It won 3-1 in Game 5 against Kuwait, but tied 1-1 in Game 6 against Palestine. Coach Hong said, `It is regrettable that we failed to break the dense defense as well. There is a way to break it, but it takes time to find it. Looking back, there are a few scenes that are disappointing. To be honest, the scene of losing a point is also regrettable. Those are also the parts that need to be overcome. We need to prepare more thoroughly in the future," he stressed.
And "After taking over, I focused on one thing: qualifying for the World Cup." I'm not thinking about anything else." In other words, there is no room to look around.
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Coach Hong also said, `Lee Kang-in is a very important player for our team. You can play better only when you survive. I'm not involved in direct goals right now, but on the contrary, I'm getting a lot of intensive checks. That's how you can aim for the back space. "Of course, it would be nice if Lee Kang-in scored a goal or gave an assist, but I've used it to block the opponent and then use the back space, and I'm looking for such a way." Of course, if Lee Kang-in is directly involved in the goal, the team is expected to improve. However, I've talked to Lee Kang-in, but I'm not in a hurry. I think I need to find a better way" expressed faith.
Kim Min-jae also actively defended it. In the match against Palestine, Kim Min-jae's back pass mistake, which Korean soccer boasts, served as an excuse for the loss. Kim Min-jae's pass was too short, and goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo rushed out, but he couldn't put out the fire.
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Coach Hong also said "It's been a difficult journey. The players overcame it well. It was a difficult situation, and considering the time difference, condition, injury and so on from Europe, I think the players came to the team and did well, so I endured it well."
Of course, there is still a long way to go. Hong said, `We will have to make up for the shortcomings. The same goes for set play. However, time is the biggest problem. I think I'm a little bit better now than when I first started. The part where the players communicate with each other has improved. However, it is not enough for now to play a stronger opponent. I think there is a lot of progress in the defensive organization compared to time. I think we need more supplementation in order to go up to a higher level than now", he explained.
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Next March is another challenge. Coach Hong said, `The composition of the players is very important. It hasn't been long since the K-League began in March next year, so the performance should be carefully monitored. It's a physically difficult time for players in Europe. We also need to look closely at those parts,' he added.
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