With their midfield corps decimated by accidents, Korea will lean on new faces to select up the slack in a pleasant match in opposition to Bolivia this week.
Korea, world No. 22, will host 76th-ranked Bolivia at 8 p.m. Friday at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon, some 140 kilometers south of Seoul.
This would be the first of two matches for Korea through the closing worldwide window for this 12 months. The Taegeuk Warriors will deliver Ghana to Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Coached by Hong Myung-bo, Korea will probably be with out three key midfielders for these matches. Feyenoord midfielder Hwang In-beom lately suffered a thigh harm that can hold him out for six to eight weeks. Hwang has been a key midfielder for the nationwide group for a number of years, the defensive conscience who also can generate scoring possibilities with sharp passes.
One of many candidates to exchange Hwang in that function, Paik Seung-ho of Birmingham Metropolis, sustained a left shoulder harm throughout his membership match over the weekend and also will miss the nationwide group matches.
On Sunday, Ulsan HD FC winger Lee Dong-gyeong broke a rib throughout his Ok League 1 match and was reduce from the nationwide group the next day.
The Korea Soccer Affiliation (KFA) selected to not title a alternative for Hwang. Accidents to each Paik and Lee compelled the KFA’s arms, and Web optimization Min-woo of Gangwon FC and Bae Jun-ho of Stoke Metropolis FC have been newly chosen to the squad Monday.
Amongst these already on the group, Jens Castrop of Borussia Monchengladbach, a German native with a Korean mom, might get one other look within the midfield after showing in three of Korea’s previous 4 matches. Hong has praised Castrop’s bodily and feisty play, noting that the 22-year-old brings some new components to the nationwide group.
Kim Jin-gyu of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, with 16 caps, has began subsequent to each Hwang and Paik in current matches, and he can supply just a little extra offensive punch than Castrop.
Bae, who has earned 10 caps, brings most of the comparable qualities as Lee, with each being offensive-minded wingers who aren’t afraid to fireplace photographs.
Korea may have no scarcity of scoring choices up entrance, led by Los Angeles Soccer Membership famous person Son Heung-min and KRC Genk striker Oh Hyeon-gyu.
FC Midtjylland ahead Cho Gue-sung made it again to the nationwide group for the primary time since March 2024 and has proven first rate type since getting back from an extended harm layoff in August. Nevertheless, Hong stated Monday he did not wish to put an excessive amount of strain on Cho straight away and hinted at restricted utilization for the 27-year-old attacker throughout this window.
In purpose, two World Cup veterans, Jo Hyeon-woo and Kim Seung-gyu, have break up beginning assignments over the previous 4 matches, and will achieve this once more this month as Hong tries to find out his No. 1 man for the World Cup.
Jo was the highest goalkeeper on the 2018 World Cup however Kim had that job 4 years later. After Kim suffered a critical knee harm through the 2024 Asian Soccer Confederation Asian Cup, Jo reemerged because the undisputed first-choice keeper.
Kim returned to the nationwide group combine in September so as to add some intrigue to the goalkeeping image.
Korea and Bolivia final met in March 2019, when Korea prevailed 1-0 in a pleasant match within the southeastern metropolis of Ulsan.
