South Korea national football team coach Jürgen Klinsmann and three of his coaches watch the Hyundai Street Derby. It’s a ‘gut feeling’ that could influence the roster for the upcoming June A-match.
According to a Korea Football Association (KFA) official on Wednesday, Klinsmann, assistant coach Andreas Harechok, coach Paolo Stringara and coach Michael Kim will visit Jeonju World Cup Stadium for the K League 1 2023 Round 16 clash between Jeonbuk Hyundai and Ulsan Hyundai. Kick-off is at 4.30pm.
They are travelling to Jeonju to have a look at the players ahead of the upcoming roster announcement for the two domestic A matches in June.
Klinsmann has been busy since returning home. After a short break in the United States following the Qatar Asian Cup group stage draw on the 11th of last month, he returned home via Incheon Airport in the late afternoon of the previous day (2nd). He then immediately took charge of the week’s schedule.
South Korea will play Peru at the Busan Asiad Stadium on the 16th and El Salvador at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium on the 20th. Kick-off time is 8pm for both matches. The roster will be announced on the 5th and the call-up will be on the 12th.
This roster will effectively define the first Klinsmann era.
In his first match in charge, an A match in March, Klinsmann named a squad based on the players that his predecessor, Paulo Bento, took to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in South Korea (round of 16).
This time, it’s different. In recent months, Klinsmann and his coaching staff have been travelling around the country and Europe to check out Korean players. The roster will reflect Klinsmann’s decisions more than the March trials. Here’s a glimpse into the football philosophy of the man who will lead South Korea until the 2026 North and Central American World Cup.
‘Perfection’ will not be achieved. 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games gold medallist Kim Min-jae (Napoli) arrives on 15 June, one day before the first leg, to complete three weeks of basic military training as part of his military service benefits.
In addition, there have been injuries to players with national team experience. This is especially true of the defence line.
‘Veteran defender’ Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan Hyundai) suffered a hamstring injury in a K League 1 match against Daejeon Hana Citizen on the 28th of last month. Cho Yoo-min (Daejeon Hana Citizen) is also in doubt with a knee injury.
In addition, defensive midfielder Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan) is being investigated for bribery while in custody in China. The situation has been the same for more than two weeks, making it difficult for him to be named in the squad for the 5th. The likes of Park Ji-soo (Portimonense) and Park Yong-woo (Ulsan Hyundai) have emerged as options to fill the defensive void.
In the ‘Hyundai Street Derby’, Klinsmann and his coaching staff will be looking at all positions, but will be particularly keen on defensive options.
It will be interesting to see if In-Joo Gyu (Ulsan Hyundai), who hasn’t had much of a run with the national team under Bento, can make his mark in front of Klinsmann.
He has scored eight goals in 14 league games this season, tied for top scorer with Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul) after two days.
Lee In-gyu previously scored a multi-goal performance against Daejeon Hana Citizens in the 15th round of the K League 1 (28th of last month), helping the team to a 3-3 draw. Ulsan Hyundai, who were 1-3 down, were able to salvage a valuable point thanks to two goals from In-Joo.
With national team frontline strikers Hwang Eui-jo (FC Seoul) and Cho Kyu-sung (Jeonbuk Hyundai) performing below expectations this season with two goals in 14 games and one goal in six games respectively, the ‘goal sensation’ could be a fresh alternative.
However, the 33-year-old’s age could prove to be an obstacle for Klinsmann, who is tasked with changing the generation.
However, if he can show the kind of age-defying form that he has shown so far, he could boost his chances of making the squad alongside 2001-born ‘young blood’ Oh Hyun-gyu, who has scored seven goals in 20 appearances across all competitions this year for Celtic in the Scottish League. 안전놀이터