Ahead of the national team’s June A match, fans were concerned about the absence of Kim Min-jae (Napoli) and Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan), two of the national team’s stalwarts at centre-back. With Kim in basic military training and Kim out through injury, the national team’s defence will have to reinvent itself for the June A match. National team coach Jürgen Klinsmann announced his June A squad at the Shinseong-ro Football Hall in Seoul on 5 June, and the result was a mixture of stability and freshness amidst the inevitable changes.메이저사이트
Klinsmann’s choices were half expected and half fresh. Of the seven defenders, Park Ji-soo (Portimonense), Kwon Kyung-won (Gamba Osaka), Kim Jin-soo (Jeonbuk), and Lee Ki-je (Suwon) were familiar faces, while Kim Joo-sung (Seoul), Ahn Hyun-beom (Jeju), and Seol Young-woo (Ulsan) were rarely seen, with Ahn in particular being a “surprise call-up” as this was his first A team call-up.
“As a national team coach, unexpected variables such as injuries are a challenge,” Klinsmann said, “and my role is to make the best choices in this environment.” “I think there will be a lot of changes in the defence from March. I’d like to bring some consistency and rhythm, but it’s going to be difficult.”
Nevertheless, Klinsmann is excited about the opportunity for other players to step up. “I hope the new guys do well. I want them to have the right amount of nerves,” he said, adding, “It’s my job to talk to them and get the best out of them.” He was especially excited about Ahn Hyun-beom, who was his first call-up. “First of all, he’s aggressive and good at playing on the flanks,” Klinsmann said, adding, “He’s similar to Lee Kang-in, and I like aggressive players like that.”
There is another area where Klinsmann is struggling. The defensive midfield position. For several years, Jung Woo-young (Alsad) has been a regular starter, but this time he is unavailable due to injury. Klinsmann opted for Won Doo-jae (Gimcheon) and Park Yong-woo (Ulsan). This is Park’s first call-up, while Won has been recalled after a two-year absence since June 2021. “I watched a lot of K League games, including the Gimcheon game, before travelling to Europe,” said Klinsmann. The coaches who travelled and checked the players had a lot to do with this. Our advisor Chaduri also helped us a lot.”
Klinsmann has a clear alternative to Jung Woo-young in Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan). In fact, his name is on the roster. However, it’s not easy to get him on the field. He has been under criminal detention since the 12th of last month by public security authorities in Liaoning province, China, on suspicion of soliciting non-state actors, and it is unclear when he will be released.
On the 1st of this month, Jeon Han-jin, the KFA’s chief executive officer, and the association’s lawyer travelled to China to check on the situation, but returned the same day with no news.
“We want to let him know that we are with him in this difficult time and that we support him 100 per cent,” Klinsmann said, revealing that he had picked Son to give him a boost. “The roster could change when we convene next week,” he said, hinting at possible changes.