For its tenth consecutive participation in the World Cup, South Korea inherited one of the most homogeneous groups of the tournament.
The Taeguk Warriors do not start as favorites against Portugal and Uruguay but Heung-min Son intends to tow the hopes of an entire nation until the eighth.
The story
Qualifying for the World Cup saw South Korea take on neighbors North Korea.
The Taeguk Warriors traveled to Pyongyang for the first time since 1990. Played in front of empty stands, the draw (0-0) was not broadcast live but the visitors testified to the aggressiveness of the North Koreans .
"It was like war," said the vice-president of the Korea Football Association.
Team form
South Korea qualified without shaking, jumping on the second qualifying spot of their pool, 11 points ahead of the United Arab Emirates.
More recently, Bento's band snatched a draw against Costa Rica (2-2) before taming a revamped Cameroon (1-0).
Each time, Heung-min Son scored, bringing his total to 35 goals in 104 caps, including 5 goals in 8 games this year.
The Korean press was worried about a less exciting start to the season than its previous year.
Not happy ?
Triple.
The Tottenham player slammed an express hat-trick at Leicester before the break.
Nevertheless, the 30-year-old striker will have to bear the weight of expectations and forget the fatigue of the round trips made between Europe and Asia to support his selection.
The list of 26 selected players
South Korea took fright when their international star Heung-min Son was injured on the last day of the Champions League against Marseille.
Operated for a fracture around the left eye, the Tottenham striker will be well at the World Cup in the company of a former Ligue 1 Hwang Ui-jo.
Only 8 players on the list are currently playing in Europe.
Goalkeepers:
Kim Seung-gyu (Al-Shabab/KSA), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Motors), Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan)
Defenders:
Kwon Kyung-won (Gamba Osaka/JPN), Kim Moon-hwan (Jeonbuk Motors), Kim Min-jae (Napoli/ITA), Kim Young-gwon (Ulsan), Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk Motors), Kim Tae -hwan (Ulsan), Yoon Jong-gyu (FC Seoul), Cho Yu-min (Daejeon Hana Citizen), Hong Chul (Daegu FC)
Midfielders:
Kwon Chang-hoon (Gimcheon Sangmu), Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul), Paik Seung-ho (Jeonbuk Motors), Lee Kang-in (Real Mallorca/ESP), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz/GER), Jeong Woo-yeong (Freiburg/GER), Hwang In-beom (Olympiakos/GRE), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers/England), Song Min-kyu (Jeonbuk Motors), Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan/CHN) , Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul).
Forwards:
Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Cho Gue-sung (Jeonbuk Motors), Hwang Ui-jo (Olympiakos/GRE)
The probable composition
South Korea.
Qatar
Son is well surrounded on the front of the attack.
The races of Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) and Hwang Ui-jo (Olympiakos) should free up plenty of space.
Jung Woo-young (Al-sadd) will ensure the balance in the middle while Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) is more focused on offensive animation.
Player to watch: Kim Min-jae
Neapel, Italian, 08.11.2022: Kim Min-jae (SSC Napoli) in action, am Ball, Einzelaktion waehrend des Spiels der Serie A zwischen FC Neapel vs FC Empoli im Diego Armando Maradona Stadion am 08. November 2022 in Neapel, Italian.
(Foto von Carlo Hermann/DeFodi Images) Napoli, Italy, 08.11.2022: Kim Min-jae (SSC Napoli) controls the ball during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli vs Empoli FC at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on November 8, 2022 in Napoli, Italy.
(Photo by Carlo Hermann/DeFodi Images) - Photo by Icon sport DeFodi Images / Icon Sport
If he signs fewer advertising contracts than Son, Kim Min-jae recalls that the absolute star of South Korea has support.
While historically, the selection has had some defensive problems, the central defender (25) fills in many gaps.
Arrived in Naples this summer, Kim was voted best player in Serie A in September.
He exudes tranquility, whether at the relaunch or in the duel.
Strong in air traffic and lively on the meadow, the central back also makes his 1.90 m speak on a set piece.
South Korea match schedule
