Hong Myung-bo's three points to watch against Iraq ahead of the World Cup finals
Hong Myung-bo's three points to watch against Iraq ahead of the World Cup finals
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The Korean team has only one point left before advancing to the World Cup for the 11th consecutive time. Will Hong Myung-bo be able to confirm his advance to the finals early on in an away match in Iraq.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play the ninth away game of Group B in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup against Iraq at 3:15 a.m. on the 6th (Korea Standard Time).
Korea, ranked 23rd in the FIFA rankings, is 36 places higher than Iraq (59th). In past matches, the team has been leading the league by a large margin with 10 wins, 12 draws, and two losses, while Korea has won all of the recent three matches.
At the third Asian qualifying round, Korea, which belongs to Group B, is leading the group with four wins and four draws (16 points) after eight matches. If Korea ties with Iraq and Kuwait for one more match, it will win the ticket to advance directly to the finals, which will be given up to the second place in the group.
Although the away match in Iraq is a bit burdensome, it is unlikely that the team will lose its final home match against Kuwait, which is classified as the weakest in Group B. Here are three points to watch against Iraq, which is at stake in advancing to the World Cup finals
#1 Tough Iraq expedition... many of the main players are absent
The Hong Myung-bo team started preparing for the Iraq match amid unfavorable conditions such as an 11-hour long-distance flight, jet lag, and heat waves. After leaving Incheon International Airport at 11 a.m. on the 2nd, he conducted his first training session after entering Iraq at 9 p.m. local time on the 3rd at Alpha Hai Stadium.
An away match against Iraq is very unfamiliar. It has been 35 years since a friendly match took place in Baghdad in February 1990. Climate conditions are very bad news for the Red Myung-bo. The daytime temperature in Iraq is 45 degrees Celsius, and the heat wave is approaching 35 degrees Celsius at night.
There are some good news for Hong Myung-bo. Iraq terminated its contract with Jesus Casas in April and appointed Australian Graham Arnold. The risk is high in that it is the first game since the manager's change.
In addition, Iraq will have to play without five key players in the upcoming match against Korea. Aymen Hussein, the main scorer who scored one goal in the match against Korea in October last year, and Levine Sulaka, the core defense player, will be absent due to accumulated warnings. Muntadar al-Majid, Mustafa Sadun, and Zidane Iqbal are missing due to injuries. Iraq, which already has not many players, is in a situation where it has to play against Korea without any players.
#2 European waves' rise-down conditions
The individual performance of European players playing in the big leagues this season was a bit disappointing. There is a concern about the aftermath of the injury, the condition, and the deterioration of the sense of play.
Kim Min-jae was excluded this time following March due to an Achilles injury. The absence of Kim Min-jae, a key defensive player, is a major power leak for Hong Myung-bo. Hong Myung-bo operated the Cho Yoo-min-Kwon line in Game 7-8 of the preliminary round against Oman and Jordan without Kim Min-jae in March, but lost every game and drew only two.
Captain Son Heung-min has only recently recovered from a foot injury. Despite the injury, he lifted the trophy as a substitute in the second half of the UEFA Europa League final on June 22, before missing the final round against Brighton in the English Premier League on June 26.
With only seven goals and nine assists in the league this season, the double-digit score, which has been going on for eight consecutive years, will end its march. Son Heung-min's last field goal was a remarkable drop in goal-making power in the second half of the year as it came out against Arsenal in January.
Lee Kang-in, who played as a member of PSG's "Treble" team, was excluded from the competition to become a starting member in the second half of this season. He was excluded from major tournament matches such as the Champions League. He has not played in the quarterfinals, semifinals and final since he played as a substitute in the second round of the round of 16. Lee Kang-in, who showed good performance by scoring six goals in the league in the first half of the year, remained silent in the second half. He failed to report on his goals for the seventh month since the last match against Angje in November last year.
Hwang Hee-chan scored the first goal in the seventh game of the third qualifying round against Oman in March, but he was very sluggish in his team, Wolverhampton. Hwang Hee-chan, who scored 12 goals and three assists in the 2023-24 season, only scored two goals in 21 league games this season. Like Lee Kang-in, Hwang Hee-chan has not scored a goal this year.
#3 Should I use the K Leaguer with good performance
As a result, all eyes are on the K-League. European leagues are facing deterioration in physical strength and condition as their seasons have ended. In contrast, the K-League ended its 17th round schedule over the weekend. Players' performance and condition are at their peak as they enter the middle of the season.
The biggest interest in this season is Jeon's first selection. Mainly playing as a right winger with a second line, he has scored 11 goals in 17 matches in the league, being the lone top scorer. Jeonbuk, led by Jeon, is racing to No. 1 in the league after overcoming the pain of the promotion and playoffs last season.
Jeon Jin-woo's bold dribble breakthrough and accurate two-footed shooting are powerful, and his scoring ability has been further doubled by timing of penetration into the box and accurate positioning. In line with the sluggishness of European strikers, it is advisable to consider Jeon Jin-woo's surprise appointment.
Lee Tae-seok made a successful A-match debut in March, starting in two consecutive games against Oman and Jordan. Lee Myung-jae, who played as a left fullback for Hong Myung-bo until last year, is also excluded from the list this June following March, making Lee Tae-seok's growth all the more welcome. 안전놀이터
In addition, defensive midfielder Park Jin-seop, central midfielder Kim Jin-kyu and right fullback Choi Jun are also good cards to revitalize the team.