The South Korea U-24 national soccer team, led by head coach Hwang Sun-hong, departed for China on Wednesday via Incheon International Airport. The team will play two friendlies against China on Sept. 15 and 19 at Jinhua Stadium in Hangzhou, China.
The 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games will be held in September after being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hwang is aiming for gold. After winning gold at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, he will be looking to make it three in a row.
This second leg in China will be for the Hangzhou Asian Games. Twenty-three of the 28 players left the country today. Ahn Jae-joon (Bucheon) 토토사이트 dropped out due to injury, while Park Kyu-hyun (Dynamo Dresden) was called up by head coach Jürgen Klinsmann to join the A team.
Kim Tae-hyun (Vegalta), Jung Woo-young (Freiburg), and Oh Jae-hyuk (Jeonbuk) will join from China. According to the Korea Football Association (KFA), Kim Tae-hyun will travel directly from Japan to China, while Jung Woo-young and Oh Jae-hyuk will join the squad separately due to visa issues.
The most noteworthy point is the second line. Among the domestic players are Uhm Won-sang (Ulsan), Ko Young-joon (Pohang), Ko Jae-hyun (Daegu), and Song Min-kyu (Jeonbuk). Among the overseas players, Jeong Woo-young and national team member Lee Kang-in (Mallorca) are also in contention. With so many high-profile players, it’s up to Hwang to win over the hearts and minds of his players.
Before his departure, Song said, “I know the competition for the second spot is very fierce. I think I’m a little bit better in terms of experience, but I’m not 100% sure. I’ll do my best to smile at the end,” he said.
Uhm Won-sang added, “I want to showcase my good speed compared to the other leaders, but the other athletes also have good abilities. In order to survive the competition and make it to the Asian Games, I need to showcase my strengths,” she promised.
The Asian Games squad is full of talented athletes. Coach Hwang Sun-hong said, “This is the last step in the selection process. It’s a trial to adapt to the local conditions in China. We will adapt well and bring results,” he said.
