‘Good news’ for Klinsmann. Kim Jin-Soo (Jeonbuk Hyundai) and Hwang Hee-Chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers) have reportedly reached peak fitness ahead of training against Saudi Arabia. In particular, they are expected to start and play full time. However, Moon Sun-min (Jeonbuk) has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by Jürgen Klinsmann (GER), held a training session open to the media at the Al Egla Training Center in Doha, Qatar, at 10 p.m. (ET) on Aug. 28. The training session was brief, lasting 15 minutes as scheduled. On this day, not only Korean reporters but also reporters from Saudi Arabia, Japan, and other countries came to cover Klinsmann’s training.
Since arriving in Doha, Qatar, from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the team has been training in the morning, but on this day, they switched to afternoon training. The change was made to maintain the Taegeuk Warriors’ biorhythms as they prepare for the tournament in earnest. Starting with the round of 16 match against Saudi Arabia, the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final will all be played in the late evening local time.
Like yesterday, the mood was light at Klinsmann Lake. The players took the field and warmed up with a few light balls. After a short speech by Coach Klinsmann, the team warmed up by running and stretching, and then began tactical drills. With Coach Klinsmann, Head Coach Andreas Herzog (Austria), and Coach Chaduri watching from the sidelines, the Taegeuk Warriors worked hard.
Klinsmann welcomed back all the players who were previously sidelined with injuries. In particular, Lee Ki-je (Suwon Samsung), who had rehabilitated with the physical coach the day before, joined the training. Although he is not physically able to complete all the training sessions, he is very determined, according to the Korean Football Association.
In addition, Kim Jin-soo and Hwang Hee-chan, who have just returned from injury, have been working hard to recover and are now in peak physical condition as the medical team has focused on treating them in various ways. “Kim Jin-soo and Hwang Hee-chan were initially expected to be able to play full-time from the quarterfinals, but they will be able to play full-time against Saudi Arabia,” said an official from the Korea Football Association.
It’s not all good news for Klinsmann’s men. Just when it looked like the team was getting back to full strength, it suffered another injury. Sun-min Moon pulled his right hamstring during a tactical drill the day before. As a result, he did not attend training that day. “Moon is being treated at a hotel and will not be able to play against Saudi Arabia,” said an official from the Korea Football Association.