With Son Heung-min on the sidelines, Hong's Korea looks for fresh answers against Jordan

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With Son Heung-min on the sidelines, Hong's Korea looks for fresh answers against Jordan

Published: 09 Oct. 2024, 12:11 Updated: 09 Oct. 2024, 13:32

PAIK JI-HWAN
paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr

Korea's Hwang In-beom, far right, vies for the ball during the 2023 Asian Cup semifinal against Jordan at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar on Feb. 7. [YONHAP]

The Korean national team, led by manager Hong Myung-bo, faces Jordan in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Thursday with one significant change from the last two games — the absence of captain Son Heung-min.

Son, who was initially called up for the October international fixtures despite a hamstring injury, was later dropped from the squad as the Korea Football Association (KFA) determined he needed to rest.

The Tottenham Hotspur captain has been sidelined since sustaining the injury during a Europa League match against Qarabag FK on Sept. 26.

Korea's Son Heung-min, right, celebrates during a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Oman at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Oman on Sept. 10. [YONHAP]

Mainz midfielder Hong Hyun-seok was called up to replace Son. Hong joins the national squad after a solid start to the 2024-25 Bundesliga season, having played five league matches and recorded one assist.

Fellow Mainz midfielder Lee Jae-sung has also been a regular, with one goal and one assist in six appearances this season.

Regular European-based midfielders, including Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-chan, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in and Feyenoord’s Hwang In-beom are all in the squad.

Hwang Hee-chan joins the national team despite a lackluster run with Wolves, having failed to record a goal or assist in eight matches across all competitions so far. However, he did score in a qualifier against Oman last month.

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan during the Premier League match against Liverpool at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, England on Sept. 28. [AFP/YONHAP]

Lee Kang-in has been a key player for PSG this season, with three goals in nine matches. The versatile midfielder has played multiple roles, including winger, center midfielder and attacking midfielder, giving manager Hong more options for his starting XI.

Feyenoord midfielder Hwang In-beom’s strong form in the Eredivisie is another positive for Hong. Hwang not only scored his first goal for Feyenoord on Sunday but was also named Feyenoord’s Player of the Month last week.

The national squad sees the return of Al Shabab goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, KRC Genk forward Oh Hyeon-gyu and Stoke City midfielder Bae Jun-ho.

If Kim plays on Thursday, it will be his first cap since an Asian Cup match against Bahrain in January. He had missed all national team games due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Oh Hyeon-gyu returns to the squad after forwards Joo Min-kyu and Oh Se-hun struggled to make an impact in the last month’s qualifiers. Both Joo and Oh Se-hun remain in the squad for the October fixtures.

For Bae, this marks his second call-up to the national team after earning his first two senior caps in June under interim manager Kim Do-hoon, scoring on his debut.

Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae, who has enjoyed more playing time this season under new manager Vincent Kompany, leads Korea’s defense. Kim also scored in the match against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae, front, celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday. [AP/YONHAP]

The upcoming qualifier between Korea and Jordan marks the two teams’ first encounter since the Asian Cup semifinal, which ended in a 2-0 victory for Jordan, who went on to finish as runners-up.

Korea delivered a poor performance in that game, failing to record a shot on target under the now-sacked manager Jurgen Klinsmann, who was criticized by fans and pundits for his perceived lack of tactical awareness.

Hong, however, has also faced criticism for relying too heavily on individual player talent during the last two qualifiers, which ended in a draw with Palestine and a win against Oman.

Jordan enters Thursday’s match on the back of one win and one draw in the third round of qualifiers, as well as an eight-game unbeaten streak. Their last defeat came in the Asian Cup final against Qatar in February.

Jordan sits at the top of the six-team Group B standings in the third qualifying round, with the top two teams from each group securing direct qualification to the World Cup.

Korea, currently in second place, can claim the top spot if they win Thursday’s game.

The Taeguk Warriors departed for Jordan on Sunday and will face the Asian Cup runners-up at Amman International Stadium on Thursday at 5 p.m. local time, 11 p.m. Korean time.

After that match, Korea will play one more qualifier against Iraq in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Oct. 15, wrapping up the international fixtures for Hong’s squad until November.

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