Hong Myung-bo, who has won four consecutive games, lost points due to anxiety...Congratulations to the players who won in the end"
Hong Myung-bo, who has won four consecutive games, lost points due to anxiety...Congratulations to the players who won in the end"
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"The tempo slowed down due to relief," said Hong Myung-ho, the coach of the Korean national team. "I want to congratulate the players who won in the end." He also said he will continue to protect Son from injury.
South Korea won 3-1 with consecutive goals by Oh Se-hoon (Machida Zelvia), Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Bae Joon-ho (Stoke City) in the fifth Group B match of the Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Jabeur Alhmed International Stadium in Kuwait City on the 14th (Korea time).
With four consecutive wins, Korea has continued to lead Group B with four wins and one draw (13 points). As Iraq and Jordan were tied 0-0 on the day, the gap between the two teams widened to five. If Korea adds more points in the sixth match against Palestine (Amman, Jordan), which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, it will reach the eighth stage of its advance to the World Cup finals.
Hong started scoring goals by deploying Son Heung-min in the first half of the day and Bae Joon-ho in the early second half of the day. As new and old players increase their competitiveness through harmonious plays, competition within the team is also accelerating.
Coach Hong first explained the situation of losing points in the second half in an interview with domestic reporters after the game.
"We were not that different in terms of offensives in the first half and the second half. However, I was a little disappointed that I lost a point in the second half. Still, I was happy to win the first match against the team. I want to congratulate the players. I am also grateful to the fans who came all the way to support the team," Hong said.
"As soon as we started, the score came out fast and it went as we prepared, but as we entered the second half, the tempo slowed down a little due to the relief that we were ahead. When we come to the Middle East, we often lose points in such situations. Still, I want to praise him for overcoming the 2-1 situation and scoring an additional goal," Hong added.
"He is an important player in our team. He is now in the process of repeated recovery after suffering from injury. I played for 90 minutes in my team, but I replaced him because I did not feel as good as I felt before today's game. I will continue to protect him for the future," Hong said.
Hong also hired a large number of young players in the second half, including Lee Tae-seok (Pohang), Oh Hyun-kyu (Henk), and Lee Hyun-joo (Hanover). "I wasn't a starter, but the players such as Lee Tae-seok and Lee Hyun-joo who debuted in the second half did a good job. It was a tough time when he was deployed, but he played well and scored. Overall, I think he made a good debut." 메이저놀이터