[일문일답] List of 26 players including Son Heung-min announced
Four people, including ‘Lee Eul-yong’s son’ Lee Tae-seok, were selected for the first time
Hong Myung-bo, coach of the national soccer team, selected Son Heung-min, who recovered from an injury, and said about his management plan, saying, “Although he has recovered, the national team will not put undue pressure on him.”
Coach Hong Myung-bo held a press conference at the Soccer Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 4th and revealed the list of 26 players who will participate in the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup 3rd qualifying round match (Kuwait on the 14th and Palestine on the 19th) in November.
What is drawing the most attention is the selection of Son Heung-min, who has recovered from a hamstring injury.
Son Heung-min was included in the national team list last October, but was excluded due to injury. He then sat out his team, but made his return against Aston Villa on the 3rd.
Coach Hong Myung-bo said, “I had a sufficient conversation with Son Heung-min last October. Because I was injured (at the time), I didn’t ask any burdensome questions. “The player himself wanted to join the national team,” he said.
However, coach Hong Myung-bo plans to take a cautious approach to using Son Heung-min.
He said, “We have a
In addition, coach Hong Myung-bo is also preparing Plan B in case Son Heung-min is unable to play full-time or does not fully recover. Even when Son Heung-min was missing last October, Hong Myung-bo-ho filled the gap well with the performances of Bae Jun-ho (Stoke) and Oh Se-hoon (Machida Zelbia).
Coach Hong Myung-bo explained, “It is not advisable to put too much pressure on Son Heung-min just because he is playing in the Tottenham game,” and added, “Like in October, we are also preparing Plan B using other options.”
Meanwhile, four members of this national team were selected for the first time: Lee Hyeon-ju (Hannover), Lee Tae-seok (Pohang), Kim Gyeong-min (Gwangju), and Kim Bong-su (Pohang).
Coach Hong Myung-bo said, “Lee Hyun-joo is a player I have been watching consistently. “He plays well even in situations where there is no space,” he said. “It is expected that the opponent will come down the line, and I thought he was the right player for that.”
In addition, regarding Lee Tae-seok, the son of Lee Eul-yong, a member of the 2002 World Cup ‘semi-finalist’ team, he said, “I felt comfortable watching him play in this position in the recent game against Seoul. “We need to continue to observe for the future,” he said.
Also, ahead of the two-game series in November, Coach Hong Myung-bo said, “It will be a more important and difficult game than in October (when we played against Jordan and Iraq). “I will do my best,” he said.
The following is a Q&A from coach Hong Myung-bo’s press conference announcing the list.
-The composition of this list is:
▶There is a misunderstanding about this two-game away game. It is the last game and an important schedule. While maintaining the basic framework of the national team, new players and future resources were added.
-What did you talk about with Son Heung-min?
▶I spoke on the phone after finishing the A match in October. Since he was injured at the time, I didn’t ask him any stressful questions. He wanted to join the national team. We have a basic principle of protecting Son Heung-min’s physical condition at all times. We must continue to watch the two games (to be played at Tottenham before the convocation) closely.
-What if a situation arises where Son Heung-min cannot play full time?
▶It is not desirable to put undue pressure on Son Heung-min just because he played in Tottenham yesterday. I plan to check how many minutes Son Heung-
-You checked players from Switzerland, UAE, etc.?
▶I saw Lee Young-Jun play in Switzerland and also interviewed him. Youngjun Lee was having a great time. I am confident that he will be a good option for the national team in the future. However, I decided that it was still too early. Won Doo-jae, who was confirmed in the UAE, showed immediate potential and had sufficient ability, but due to adaptation issues after the transfer, it was decided to wait a little longer.
-Are there any new players joining?
▶Kim Bong-su has maintained consistently good performance since the start of this season’s league. Lee Tae-seok seemed to have difficulty when he moved mid-season and played as a striker, but he recently took on a defensive role again and looked very comfortable playing in his position.
Hyunjoo Lee consistently checked the game. His playing time increased and his performance was good. Hyunjoo Lee is a type of style that does not exist before. He shows good performance even in situations where the opponent has dropped the line and there is no space.
-Seunggyu Kim was injured?
▶(After Cho Hyun-woo) A number 2 goalkeeper was needed, so Kim Kyung-min and Lee Chang-geun were selected. Two players will compete against each other.
-Hwang Hee-chan was not selected. How bad is his current injury?
▶I joined the team faster than expected. If it was too much of a stretch, we could have selected him, but we had more important schedules ahead, so we didn’t let him join us.
-In addition to the main players at fullback, many young players continue to join?
▶This is a process of finding the most suitable person. They come and train and we keep checking to see if they fit into the team and if they have potential. Some players may come in once and then leave again, while others may come in again and again. However, that doesn’t tell everything about the player.
-Lee Ki-hyuk was also selected after a long time?
▶Lee Ki-hyuk can be used in multiple positions, including fullback, midfielder, and centerback. I thought I could put it to good use. This player was selected to find the position where he can excel.
<img src="https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2024/11/04/130354744.1.jpg" alt="Hong Myung-bo, coach of the national soccer team, is giving a greeting before a press conference announcing the national team's list of players called up for November at the Korea Football Association in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the
-The possibility of the finals has increased. What are your plans to operate it experimentally?
▶People around us say that Kuwait and Palestine, who we will meet in this two-game series, are weak teams, but it is a difficult and important game for us. I want to clearly say that it is more important than October. You must do your best to achieve results. If they are in good condition and have the attitude to train, we plan to let them compete regardless of their age.
(Seoul = News 1)
Ultiple positions, which is valuable for the team. He has experience and can adapt to different roles depending on the needs during the matches. It’s important to have versatile players who can step in wherever needed, especially as we prepare for crucial qualifiers ahead.
Coach Hong Myung-bo is making strategic decisions in selecting new talent while also managing the fitness and performance of established stars like Son Heung-min. He emphasized the importance of a balanced team that can adjust to different challenges and opponent strategies, while also keeping an eye on the future of South Korean football.