Which player will take the No. 2 position in the Korean national team led by Jurgen Klinsmann? It seems that there will be a good-faith competition within the team to take the vacancy of Hwang Ui-jo (Norwich City).
The Klinsman will convene at a hotel in downtown Seoul from the 26th to 31st for domestic training for the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. This training is for K-League players who have finished their season and European players who are on their break, gathering in advance to build their bodies before leaving for Qatar, the venue for the tournament. 파친코
According to the list announced on the 18th, it consists of 12 Korean players, including Moon Sun-min, Park Jin-seop (Jeonbuk Hyundai), and Lee Soon-min (Gwangju FC), and four overseas players, Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Zvezda), Jung Woo-young (Suittgart), and Cho Kyu-sung (Mitwillan). At the time of the announcement of the call-up list, the biggest concern was whether Joo Min-kyu, who won the K League’s top scorer and two best 11 strikers, would be selected as Hwang Ui-jo’s replacement, but there was no surprise selection.
Considering Klinsmann’s remarks on “persistence” and “continuity” to win the Asian Cup and the announcement of the last list, nothing unusual seems to happen again. Hwang is currently under police investigation after being booked for illegal filming of sex. As a result, Hwang was banned from wearing the national flag until he was cleared by the Korea Football Association on April 28, reducing his options at the front.
Currently, Cho Gyu-seong is in charge of the front line striker. Hwang Ui-jo and Cho Gyu-seong have been replaced since the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022, but since the launch of the Klinsman team, Cho has been the No. 1 player, and Hwang Ui-jo has mainly played as a substitute. Hence, Oh Hyun-gyu (Celtic), the only forward line striker in Hwang Ui-jo’s current position, will likely fill the vacancy. Oh is a striker who was constantly called by the Klinsman team.
Oh has displayed stellar performance by scoring five goals in 15 matches in the Scottish league for the prestigious Celtic FC. He is also evaluated as a direct substitute as he can display strength in forward pressure, linkage and provisional rights like Hwang Ui-jo. Oh’s competitor is not without him. Jung Woo-young, who is playing in his second term, is also a multiplayer who can play at the forefront. He is also a competitive player as he played as a starting member of the German professional football Bundesliga.
Although he is not the type to use his physical strengths like Oh Hyun-kyu, he has the ability to make points with sensuous movements and finishes in the box. In fact, Jung Woo-young scored eight goals as the main striker of the national team led by Hwang Sun-hong at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games from September to October, making a great contribution to the top scorer and the team’s victory.
If Jung Woo-young adapts to the front line before the Asian Cup finals, it will be another option. The players who will be on the Klinsman team will be unveiled at the final list announcement ceremony for the Qatar Asian Cup to be held at Yongsan CGV on the 28th. The Klinsman team will depart for Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on January 2 next year after completing its domestic training.
After a final exhibition match against Iraq on June 6, the team will move to Qatar on June 10. The upcoming Asian Cup will take place from June 13. Korea will seek to win the title for the first time in 64 years since the second event in 1960. The Klinsmann team will play its first Group E match against Bahrain on June 15. It will then play Jordan on June 20 and Malaysia on June 25.