Announcement of 26 finalists for the Asian Cup. Maintaining the existing framework without surprise selections. “Opportunity to win the championship for the first time in 64 years.”
Klinsmann, who is aiming for his first championship in 64 years, has formed a team of elites including Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) to participate in the '2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup'. sortie.
Jürgen Klinsmann, coach of the Korean men's national soccer team, announced the final list of 26 players to participate in the Asian Cup at 11 am on the 28th at the Yongsan CGV 15 in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Coach Klinsmann, who emphasized sustainability and continuity, called most of the previously selected players in this final list without making any major changes. Kim Joo-sung (Seoul), Kim Ji-soo (Brentford), and Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic) are some of the more notable selections.
Coach Klinsmann said, “I was happy when I heard that the list had increased to 26 people. He explained the reason for selecting the young players, saying, “I thought the three internally increased numbers were an opportunity to work with players who will lead the future of Korean soccer.”
Until the suspicion of illegal filming was resolved, there was no selection to fill the vacancy of striker Hwang Ui-jo (Norwich City), who was excluded from the national team.
Coach Klinsmann said, “Oh Hyun-gyu and Cho Kyu-seong can play as number 9 (frontline strikers). “Son Heung-min can also be used as a false nine (false number 9),” he said, explaining that his absence will be minimized by changing internal positions.
Of course, Son Heung-min is the player who will help Klinsmann focus on winning the championship.
This tournament is Son Heung-min's fourth Asian Cup, and he has a lot of experience participating in the tournament. Starting with the 2011 Qatar Asian Cup (3rd place), they participated in the 2015 Australia Asian Cup (runner-up) and the 2019 United Arab Emirates Asian Cup (quarterfinals).
His performance is also excellent. Son Heung-min has played in 18 league games this season, scoring 11 goals and 4 assists. He is on the rise, scoring double-digit EPL scores for eight consecutive seasons.
Not only his team Tottenham, but also Klinsmann Lake leads the team as a key striker and captain. AFC also selected Son Heung-min as a player to watch in this tournament.
Hwang Hee-chan, who had an injury issue, was also called by Coach Klinsmann.
Hee-chan Hwang led his team Wolverhampton to a 4-1 victory by scoring multiple goals in the 19th round of the 2023-2024 English Professional Football Premier League (EPL) against Brentford held on this day at the G-Tech Community Stadium in London, England.
Joy was briefly replaced after clutching her lower back during extra time in the first half. Fortunately, Hwang Hee-chan said in a post-game interview, “It doesn't seem to be a major injury. “It's okay,” he said, and in fact, he continued his upward trend by being added to this list.
Hwang Hee-chan, who scored his 10th league goal for the first time in his career after entering the EPL, is scheduled to lead the national team's attack along with Son Heung-min.
In addition, many key overseas players, including Lee Kang-in, who is considered the present and future of Korean soccer, and Kim Min-jae, who has emerged as the world's best defender, also joined the team.
Lee Kang-in left Mallorca (Spain) through the transfer market last summer and became a member of the world-famous PSG. Despite variables such as participating in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, he is solidifying his position by playing 15 games (2 goals, 2 assists) in the league and the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
Klinsmann is also expected to give strength to the front line attackers with his quality passes and unique wide vision.
Kim Min-jae also quickly established himself as a starting player after leaving Naples (Italy) and moving to Munich (Germany) this season. He is playing a key role in the national team and in Munich, to the point where he is embroiled in controversy over overuse.
Unlike the offensive line, which is comprised entirely of overseas players, the defensive line is comprised mainly of domestic players.
Starting with Kim Young-kwon, Jeong Seung-hyun, Seol Young-woo, and Kim Tae-hwan, who led the championship of Ulsan HD, the 'defending champion' of Pro Football K-League 1, Kim Jin-soo (Jeonbuk), Lee Ki-je (Suwon Samsung), and Kim Joo-seong (Seoul) were included.
The midfielders include Moon Seon-min, Park Jin-seop (Jeonbuk), and Lee Sun-min (Gwangju), as well as a combination of domestic and foreign players, including Hwang In-beom (Zvezda), Park Yong-woo (Al Ain), Hong Hyun-seok (Ghent), Lee Jae-seong (Mainz), and Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart). is scheduled to be achieved.
As for the goalkeepers, along with the main players Kim Seung-gyu (Al-Shabaab) and Jo Hyun-woo (Ulsan), Song Bum-geun (Shonan Belmare) will add strength.
Korea's goal for this tournament is to win. Although Korea is a powerhouse representing Asia, it has never reached the top since the second tournament in 1960. This time, we are aiming for our first win in 64 years.
The national team, which has been preparing in Korea since the 26th, will continue training until the 31st.
16 players, including domestic players who completed the K-League schedule and overseas players who completed the first half of the schedule, began conditioning with a focus on physical training at a hotel in Seoul.
Afterwards, Klinsmann will depart for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), where a training camp will be held on January 2 next year. At this time, Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and other overseas players are scheduled to join and become a complete team.
After completing the final mock test against Iraq on the 6th, they will move to Qatar, the site of the decisive battle, on the 10th.
Korea (No. 23 in FIFA rankings), located in Group E of the group stage, will face Bahrain (No. 86 on the 15th), Jordan (No. 87 on the 20th), and Malaysia (No. 130 on the 25th) in that order.
Coach Klinsmann said, “I hope the players will carry over the performance they showed on their team to the national team. “Then there will definitely be good results,” he said. “It is important to solve the puzzle well in the remaining days.” “I hope this will be an opportunity to achieve a championship that hasn't happened in 64 years,” he said, setting his sights on winning.
◇2023 Asian Cup National Football Team List (26 players)
▲Goalkeeper = Seung-gyu Kim (Al-Shabab), Hyun-woo Cho (Ulsan), Bum-geun Song (Shonan Belmare)
▲Defender = Young-kwon Kim (Ulsan), Min-jae Kim (Bayern Munich), Seung-hyeon Jeong (Ulsan), Kim Joo-seong (Seoul), Kim Ji-su (Brentford), Seol Young-woo, Kim Tae-hwan (Ulsan), Lee Ki-je (Suwon Samsung), Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk)
▲Midfielder = Park Yong-woo (Al Ain), Hwang In-beom (Zvezda), Park Jin-seop (Jeonbuk) ), Hong Hyun-seok (Gent), Lee Soon-min (Gwangju), Lee Jae-seong (Mainz), Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Kang-in (PSG), Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Moon Seon-min (Jeonbuk)
▲ Striker = Cho Gyu-seong (Midtjylland), Oh Hyun-gyu (Celtic) 스포츠토토맨
