China, who will face the ‘Clean Sweepers’ of South Korea, acknowledged the difference in quality between the two teams.
The Korea Football Association on Saturday announced a 23-man roster for the national team’s two Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA Confederations Cup North America starting in November. The team, led by national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann, will face Singapore at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Nov. 16. On the 19th, they will travel to Shenzhen, China to face the Chinese National Team.
Klinsmann has assembled an elite squad that includes a number of Europeans, including “Captain” Son Heung-min (Tottenham), “Monster” Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), “Golden Boy” Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Cho Kyu-sung (Midtjylland), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), and Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart). The ‘K-Leaguers’ also remained largely unchanged. Jo Hyun-woo, Kim Tae-hwan, Jung Seung-hyun, Seol Young-woo, and Kim Young-kwon, who led Ulsan Hyundai to back-to-back K League 1 titles, were included. However, FC Seoul defender Kim Joo-sung was left off the list.
Compared to last month’s A-Match roster, only one player changed. Backup goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong (Gimcheon Sangmu) was dropped in favor of Japan international Song Bum-geun (Shonan Belmare).
Klinsmann hasn’t made any major changes to the roster. It is understood that he intends to use his best players to improve their performance and team organization in preparation for the Asian Second Qualifier and the Asian Cup in Qatar next January.
Earlier, Klinsmann said, “Myself and the coaching staff have drawn a picture internally to some extent. The closer you get to a major tournament, the more important it is to have continuity and continuity. We experimented a lot. Now it’s time to build a team with continuity,” he said, emphasizing that “we’ve thought of eight to 10 players who are the backbone and that won’t change.”
Although unlikely, the race is not completely over. “The door to the national team is still open,” Klinsmann said. It’s always open to younger players and players who are playing for their clubs.”
But this time, the roster was similar. The best. South Korea pulled out all the best cards they could. That should be worrisome for their opponents. China was also nervous about facing South Korea. “South Korea has announced a 23-man roster,” China’s Sohu.com reported. Tottenham’s Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in, and many other stars who have emerged as world-class are included.” 무지개토토 주소
The media also highlighted Korea’s European contingent. “Players to watch in Korea include Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in, Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Jae-sung, and Jeong Woo-young,” said Sohu.com. “Son Heung-min has exploded onto the scene after Harry Kane’s departure, scoring eight goals and one assist in 10 Premier League games. Valued at 50 million euros (about 70 billion won), Son is a world-class goalie. I wonder if the Chinese national team, with its weak defense, will be able to stop his intense attack. Lee Kang-in, who plays for French giants PSG, cannot be underestimated.”