The Korean A team led by Coach Jurgen Klinsmann had its first training session at the Al Agla training ground in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday (Korea time). Initially, the team was scheduled to take rest on the day. “At the last training session in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, the team had 11 to 11 matches on its own. The team will take rest after intense training sessions in which players can run an average of 9 kilometers per hour,” a source at the Korea Football Association said. However, the team changed its plan after a meeting with the coaching staff. Through the recovery training session on the morning of the day, the team confirmed its condition.
A variable has occurred. Three of the 26 players on the short list failed to appear at the training site. Lee Jae-sung suffered a bruise after being stepped on his left foot during the last training session on Thursday. Kim Jin-soo felt uncomfortable with his left calf during the mini-match in Abu Dhabi. There is a possibility that he will not be able to play in the group stage. Fortunately, the injury is not a rupture. He needs recovery due to muscle damage. Hwang Hee-chan may also not be able to play until the first or second round due to accumulated muscle fatigue in his left hip.
“In a competition, injuries, big and small, can happen at any time,” Klinsmann told an official news conference ahead of Wednesday’s training session. While closely communicating with the medical team, the team is considering whether it is possible to quickly return the injured and recover from the injury. There is no problem at all. It could include bruises and muscle injuries. Hwang Hee-chan’s injury is not a big deal. I hope all players will do it together, but even if he fails to participate in the opening match, he will have many more matches to play. “I am not worried about injuries. I have such concerns. The competition is a long one. I will prepare for it by communicating closely,” Klinsmann said.
Korea is the favorite to win the title in this year’s event. Korea is aiming at the top in 64 years since 1960. Korea has failed to grab the top place in Asia since its two consecutive wins in 1956 and 1960. It was the second place only four times (1972, 1980, 1988, and 2015). At the previous event in 2019, Korea also bowed its head in the quarterfinals.
Soon after taking the helm in February last year, Klinsmann had been aiming to win the Asian Cup. When announcing his final roster last month, Klinsmann said, “I have a really good player. It is possible because there are players who will make a special moment. I will come back after winning the title with good players as I will be honored.”
The South Korean team is displaying the best performance on the basis of its best performance. Since its 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in September last year, the team has been on a six-game winning streak. It beat Tunisia (4-0) and Vietnam (6-0) in October, and Singapore (5-0) and China (3-0) in November in succession. By tying up the 1-0 victory over Iraq, the team has displayed a perfect balance of offense and defense with 20 points and no goals lost during the six consecutive wins. According to the Korea Football Association, the team has tied for third in all A matches in the history of the Korean national team with seven consecutive scoreless matches. Korea will start its first Group E match against Bahrain at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and begin its championship race. 온라인경마
Klinsmann said, “My week in Abu Dhabi was very important. I focused on getting the whole team in shape. Now, the most important thing is to solve the last puzzle. I think we need to set pieces and attack patterns in detail. Now is the beginning. Time will fly very quickly. I will coach in detail.”