If Hwang In-beom can't run full-time, there will be no "Plan B" or "Plan C"... What's left is, "Rolling your body or curl up?"
If Hwang In-beom can't run full-time, there will be no "Plan B" or "Plan C"... What's left is, "Rolling your body or curl up?"
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What kind of alternative does South Korean coach Hong Myung-bo have in Hwang In-beom's absence.
South Korea will hold its eighth Group B match against Jordan in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea, China and the U.S. at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province at 8 p.m. on the 25th. South Korea, which ended in a 1-1 draw with Oman on the 20th, is leading an uneasy lead with four wins and three draws. Since it is a three-point gap with second-ranked Jordan, if it loses the showdown, it will fall to second place. If the team wins on the other hand, it may be able to confirm its advance to the finals early depending on the results of other teams.
Hwang appeared at a stadium adaptation training session on Wednesday, a day before the game, and continued the training with a smile just like other players. However, his facial expression is not the only evidence that he has regained his physical condition. The only thing that was disclosed to the media was the warm-up stage at the beginning of the training session. After recovering from injury, he played for Feyenoord for only 45 minutes before joining the national team, and was excluded from the roster of the match against Oman on Tuesday.
Hong formed an entry focusing on the match against Jordan on the premise that Jordan is a more difficult opponent than Oman. It seems that the team originally planned to use Lee Kang-in or at least use him, and put both Hwang In-beom and Lee Kang-in in the match against Jordan. However, Baek Seung-ho was injured in the match against Oman, putting Lee Kang-in ahead of schedule, and Lee Kang-in also collapsed.
Hwang appears unable to play full-time in the match against Jordan. Sources familiar with the situation said, "It is difficult for a player who is excluded from the roster of the previous match to return to perfect condition in five days," adding, "He may be a starter, but chances are high that he will be able to manage his playing time. If the game doesn't go well, his playing time will gradually increase, which will increase the risk of injury recurrence."
The problem is that there is no alternative for Hwang. In the 4-2-3-1 formation, Hwang was a defensive midfielder, and then advanced upon attack to form a formation close to 4-1-4-1, and take various roles such as prodding forward passes. No player in the current national team can completely replace this role. As a technical midfielder, Hong first selected Baek Seung-ho and operated him as Plan B in Hwang's absence. However, he also collapsed due to an injury.
When Baek Seung-ho complained of muscle injury in the early days of the match against Oman, Hong's response was an opportunity to see if the plan C is in place and how flexibly he responds to unexpected situations. Thatcher's tactical aspects were good for now. Putting Hwang In-beom as a defensive midfielder that he does not usually use, and at the same time changing the position of the strikers led to a goal.
However, as Lee Kang-in was Plan C, but even he left due to injury, the range of alternatives in the time zone where Hwang In-beom is absent is further reduced. The remaining professional midfielder options in Korea are Park Yong-woo and Won Doo-jae, both of whom are defensive. Lee Jae-sung, Lee Dong-kyung, and Bae Jun-ho are more aggressive players like Lee Kang-in, but the resources that can be deployed at the back are Lee Jae-sung, Lee Dong-kyung, and Bae Jun-ho. More broadly, there are also cards that use Hwang Jae-won as midfielders.
If the defensive midfielder duo is not intact due to Hong's tendency to value stability, chances are high that Lee Jae-sung will stick to the central offensive midfielder. In front of two defensive midfielders, Lee Jae-sung, who has good pressure ability, will be given the additional role of blocking line. Coach Hong also said in a press conference on the 24th, "We changed the positions of the players during the match against Oman, so our offense was revived, but Lee Jae-sung's pressure ability was not displayed," expressing a firm view that the optimal position for Lee Jae-sung is the central offensive type. 토토사이트
In the end, Hong's expected scenario is to use Hwang In-beom as a starter to widen the score gap within the first half if possible, and to operate it stably by putting in beans and other materials in the second half. During Hwang In-beom's absence, it is naturally depicted to operate defensive combinations.
However, if a scenario is set in advance and a player enters a game in this way, his or her ability to cope with situations in which variables arise will inevitably decrease. On the contrary, if Jordan, who is good at managing the game, plays catch South Korea off guard, he or she should also be prepared.