Klinsmann looks for first win as Korea face Peru

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Klinsmann looks for first win as Korea face Peru

Published: 15 Jun. 2023, 15:56 Updated: 17 Jun. 2023, 08:41

The Korean national team trains at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Busan on Thursday. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The Korean national team will face Peru in Busan on Friday with Jurgen Klinsmann looking to secure his first win with the Taeguk Warriors after narrowly missing out in March.

Klinsmann, who took charge of the national team in February, called up 24 players with a few changes from the squad he inherited and used for his first two games.

The new players Klinsmann included — midfielder Moon Seon-min of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, midfielder Hong Hyun-seok of KAA Gent and a few others — alongside the regular picks may bring more of the manager’s influence and display the aggressive football that he wants to implement.

Klinsmann previously said in his first press conference that he would rather win a game 4-3 than 1-0.

He will, however, have to play the match against Peru without captain Son Heung-min, who managed two goals in the March friendlies, as the Korea's regular captain is unavailable after undergoing hernia surgery two weeks ago.

Son’s absence leaves other attacking options for Klinsmann to consider, including Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers, who joined the national team after missing out in March due to an injury.

Hwang Hee-chan’s main role at Wolves and on the national team is to break through the defense with long runs.

Whether the Wolves forward can score his first goal under Klinsmann will also depend on the other three strikers: Cho Gue-sung of Jeonbuk, Hwang Ui-jo of FC Seoul and Oh Hyeon-gyu of Celtic.

Oh has been in the best form among the three, picking up seven goals across all competitions with Celtic in the second half of the 2022-23 season, while both Cho and Hwang Ui-jo have scored four goals apiece in their respective teams.

Korea’s defense will also see some changes from the previous friendlies, as regular picks like Napoli defender of Kim Min-jae and Ulsan Hyundai defender Kim Young-gwon are unavailable.

Kim Min-jae has to fulfill his mandatory military basic training, while Kim Young-gwon is out with a hamstring injury.

Park Kyu-hyun of SG Dynamo Dresden and Park Ji-soo of Portimonense SC, called up by Klinsmann for the first time, will likely replace the senior players.

“I think this group of players has good leadership and experienced players,” Klinsmann said during a pre-game press conference at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Busan on Thursday. “So we want to continue to grow. We want to continue to develop our style of play and we want to play good football.

“And when somebody is not there, then another player can show what he can do. This is now a good chance for the players coming in that I haven’t seen yet to play and be part of this group.”

Jurgen Klinsmann speaks during a press conference at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Busan on Thursday. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The friendly with Peru is a chance for Klisnmann to redeem himself from his first two games with the national team that ended with a 2-2 draw with Colombia and 2-1 loss against Uruguay.

Peru, ranked at No. 26 on the FIFA ranking — six positions above Korea — are also looking to secure their first win since a 2-0 victory over Paraguay in the Qatar World Cup qualifier March last year.

They have been winless since then, as they failed to qualify for the World Cup with a loss to Australia in the inter-confederation playoffs in June, before they recorded a 2-0 loss to Germany and a goalless draw with Morocco in March.

Korea has faced Peru twice before and managed one draw and one loss. They lost 4-0 in a friendly in 1971, before recording a goalless draw in 2013.

Korea’s game against Peru kicks off at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Busan at 8 p.m. on Friday.

Another friendly with El Salvador will take place at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon Tuesday next week.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]