"My foot is not 100% healed..." Son Heung-min, "Excluding the list," take another break? Coach Hong Myung-bo said, "It's not time to overdo it."
"My foot is not 100% healed..." Son Heung-min, "Excluding the list," take another break? Coach Hong Myung-bo said, "It's not time to overdo it."
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"This is not the time to overdo it."
Will "captain" Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur) take another break? Coach Hong Myung-bo has declined to comment on his possibility to play.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, returned home via Incheon International Airport on a chartered flight on the afternoon of the 6th (Korea time). The national team defeated Iraq 2-0 on the same day thanks to consecutive goals by Kim Jin-kyu and Oh Hyun-kyu in the ninth Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup at Basra International Stadium in Iraq.
With five wins and four draws (19 points), Korea secured a berth to the World Cup finals by ranking second or higher in the group with one match to go. It is the 11th consecutive World Cup finals, which has been held since the 1986 Mexico Games, and the 12th in total.
Notably, his 11th consecutive appearance in Asia is the first in Asia and the sixth in the world. Only Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Spain and Korea have achieved such a record so far.
It was not an easy away game. The national team went on an away trip to Iraq for the first time in 35 years since a friendly match in Baghdad in 1990, and had to mobilize bulletproof buses, bodyguards and police escorts as it is a country where travel is banned due to unstable situation. The weather also boasted brutal heat with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius.
More than 50,000 spectators in Iraq cheered unilaterally on the day of the match. However, the Korean team was strong enough. The opponent team's sending off in the 23rd minute of the first half gave them numerical advantage. Two bad lucks followed, but they tied the scores of Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk Hyundai) and Oh Hyun-gyu (Henk Hyundai Motors) who were substituted in the second half to secure a 2-0 complete victory.
Now, the next team will be Kuwait. Korea will play the final match of the third qualifying round against Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Saturday. After disbanding at the airport, the Korean team will convene again at the Paju National Training Center at 2 p.m. on Sunday to prepare for a showdown with Kuwait.
Attention is also focusing on Son's physical condition. Son was completely excluded from the match against Iraq due to his foot injury. Chances are high that he will rest or play only a short period of time in the match against Kuwait.
Coach Hong Myung-bo also said, "My foot was not 100% better. "If you overdo it, you can play 20 or 30 minutes, but I think it is not desirable. The season is over now, and I suffered from injuries even during the season. The next game will be decided two or three days later. However, it is not time to overdo it," he said, stressing that he will put Son's recovery from injury as his top priority.
"He didn't play a role in the stadium, but he played a very good role in his own way outside the stadium. Other players accepted it well and went to the stadium. I think he played an important role both in and out of the stadium."
온라인카지노 The match will be a venue of proof to new players. "I think we can envision ourselves as young enough players. The same goes for defense and offense. However, we have to decide how to conclude the match through meetings with our coaching staff. From this moment on, I thought we should move on to the World Cup system, so I will try to recruit younger players," Hong said, hinting at the match against Kuwait.