Lee Kang-in is likely to play the role of right wing forward rather than an offensive midfielder.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play the first and second rounds of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup. It will play the first home game against Palestine at Sangam World Cup Stadium in Seoul at 8 p.m. on September 5, and the second away game against Oman at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat, the capital of Oman, at 11 p.m. on September 10.
Coach Hong Myung-bo had an early press conference on Wednesday, one day before the match against Palestine. “The North Korea-China U.S. preliminary round will begin tomorrow. We had our first training session as a whole group yesterday, and we had good training today as well. We will prepare well for tomorrow’s game. Overall, the players feel tired, but there are no injured players. I think I can expect better condition tomorrow,” he said.
In terms of tactics, he also said something significant. While answering a tactical question with Lee Kang-in, he said, “The offense should be creative and the defense should be disciplined. When it comes to the offensive route, Lee Kang-in is good, and Son Heung-min is on the other side. There are midfielders and strikers in the middle. There were many good scenes in the second qualifying round. It’s important how much completion you play.” 메이저사이트
Of course, head coach Hong Myung-bo said with reservation, “I have to train a day and go into the game, but I’m going to think about the combination until the end,” but Lee Kang-in’s position is expected to be the right wing forward given that he is on the other side.
Lee Kang-in is a resource that can play both a central attacking midfielder and a right wing forward. For that reason, there has been continued interest in where and how to use Lee Kang-in. First of all, it is believed that Hong Myung-bo wants to maximize Son Heung-min’s use as an open space on the other side while utilizing Lee Kang-in from the right. Attention is focusing on whether Hong Myung-bo’s thoughts will work in the first game.