4 days to go…full of bad news, Hwang Sun-hong-ho faces AG’s third straight defeat
South Korea’s bid for a third consecutive Asian Games title has been marred by a lack of a full squad just four days before the tournament.
The Asian Games men’s soccer team, led by coach Hwang Sun-hong, continued its training camp at the National Training Center (NFC) in Paju on Thursday.
The team will now travel to Hangzhou, China, for the final match of the tournament on Nov. 16, where they will begin their quest for a third consecutive Asian Games title with their first group game against Kuwait on Nov. 19. After the first match against Kuwait, they will face Thailand on Nov. 21 and Bahrain on Nov. 24.
The final roster for the Asian Games is 22, but only 20 players participated in the training session.
Lee Kang-in (PSG), who was expected to play an ace role, is still in Paris, unable to travel to Paju as the tournament approaches.
“PSG hasn’t officially said when they will send him,” Hwang Sun-hong told reporters ahead of the squad’s training session at Paju NFC. “He wants to join us as soon as possible, but it’s frustrating that we can’t seem to coordinate.”
Lee, who joined the French giants ahead of the 2023-24 season, has been eager to compete in the Asian Games as his military service benefits are at stake.
PSG were initially expected to make a statement regarding Lee’s participation in the Asian Games on the 13th, but did not provide an answer as to when he would join the team.
If Lee Kang-in’s arrival is delayed, Hwang Sun-hong will be severely hampered. Lee Kang-in has the ability to make a name for himself not only in the Asian Games squad but also in the A team.
However, if he is delayed in joining the Asian Games team, he will have absolutely no time to gel with his teammates. 메이저사이트
In the worst case scenario, the team could skip the group stage and go straight into the tournament, which would put a lot of pressure on Hwang Sun-hong to use a player who hasn’t even trained properly.
In addition, key midfielder Hong Hyun-seok (Gent) and wildcard Seol Young-woo (Ulsan Hyundai) traveled to Europe ahead of the Asian Games because of the lack of coordination between Klinsmann and Hwang Sun-hong. Both players traveled long distances, which could lead to a drop in form.
Hong Hyun-seok only played one match against Wales before returning home to take part in the call-up training, while Seol Young-woo, who played against Saudi Arabia, will focus on his recovery before heading to China.
With all the bad news piling up before he has even taken his first step, it will be interesting to see if Hwang can overcome his concerns and win the coveted gold medal.