Hong Myung-bo-ho is on alert for 'accumulation of warnings'...Will the World Cup Final Be an Early Determinant
Hong Myung-bo-ho is on alert for 'accumulation of warnings'...Will the World Cup Final Be an Early Determinant
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Coach Hong Myung-bo of the South Korean national soccer team, who is seeking to confirm his advance to the World Cup finals early, issued a warning against "accumulation of warnings."
"Six important players have yellow cards. As they cannot play in the second match if they are given a warning in the first match, they will not be able to play in the second match," Hong said at a press conference to announce the players' roster for the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. on Wednesday.
A total of 28 players are on the A-match call-up list in March, including three goalkeepers, nine defenders, 13 midfielders and three strikers.
It is unusual for a team of 28 players to be convened. The number is two more than the 26 that were called in October and November last year.
The roster was set up more than usual to manage warnings. Players who accumulated two warnings during the third World Cup qualifying round will not be allowed to play in the next match.
The players who were warned until Game 6 were Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Seol Young-woo (Zvezda), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Park Yong-woo (Al Ain), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), and Cho Yoo-min (Sharja). As most of them are the main players, if they are absent due to accumulated warnings, the impact will be huge.
In Game 7 against Oman, which will be held at Goyang Stadium on the 20th, not only the victory but also the warning management of the players is required.
If they are given cumulative penalty in the match against Oman on Saturday, they will not be able to play to their best in the eighth match against Jordan on Saturday. Hong has no choice but to be cautious about the composition of the best 11 players in the match against Oman.
Young blood born in the 2000s, including Hwang Jae-won (Daegu), Cho Hyun-taek (Kimcheon), and Lee Tae-seok (Pohang), was transfused into the defense team, which is relatively likely to receive additional yellow cards.
In particular, he selected Hwang Jae-won as a backup resource for Seol, who has one warning. "Seol Young-woo has one warning, and considering the fatigue level, we selected Hwang Jae-won as the player with the best attack strength," Hong said.
South Korea is aiming to confirm its advance to the World Cup finals early within the A-match period in March.
In the third preliminary round, the first and second runners-up of each group will advance directly to the finals. Korea, which ranks first in Group B with four wins, two draws, and 14 points, will achieve the tremendous feat of advancing to the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time if it wins both of its seventh and eighth matches. 바카라사이트
"This is the scenario that I want the most. Not everything can go as planned, but I'm making a lot of efforts within it," Hong said. "I don't want to put pressure on the players. I'm trying to create an atmosphere where I can play comfortably."