South Korean National Football Team Begins Training for Mexico Match in the Rain

Following their victory against the Czech Republic and a period of rest, the Hong Myung-bo squad has begun training aimed at their second opponent and a formidable group stage rival, Mexico.

The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, trained for about an hour today at the Chivas Valle Verde training facility in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico.

The team held a light recovery session the day after the Czech Republic match and took yesterday off, spending quality time with their families who visited the site with the support of the Korea Football Association.

Returning to the training pitch five days before the match against Mexico, the Taegeuk Warriors have resumed intensive training.

The players ran across the field in the rain, beginning to ramp up their physical condition once again.

The session started with light warm-ups, followed by obstacle running, forward and backward sprints, jumping exercises, ball-handling drills, and a shooting game.

Kim Tae-hyeon (Kashima Antlers) and Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), who are recovering from injuries, rode stationary bikes to maintain muscle strength, while the rest of the squad completed normal training.

Both Kim Tae-hyeon and Bae Jun-ho are showing positive recovery progress.

Both are working hard on their recovery with the goal of reaching a physical state that would allow them to play as early as the second match.

Kim Tae-hyeon was injured during training on June 10, two days before the Czech Republic match, while Bae Jun-ho was injured during a friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago on May 31.

A team official explained, "Kim Tae-hyeon is recovering slightly faster (due to the timing of the injury). The rest of the players focused on increasing their cardiovascular endurance and maintaining match sharpness," adding, "Starting tomorrow, we will enter full-scale tactical training aimed at the second match."

The coaching staff is providing players with analysis videos of the Mexico match by position to ensure a higher level of tactical execution than what was shown against the Czech Republic.

The goal is to use these videos to "remind" players so they can move "automatically" to their required positions during tactical shifts in the game, such as temporarily switching from a back-three to a back-four, or dropping into a back-five.

As players become better at identifying not only their own positions but also those of their teammates, their coordinated movements in attacking situations are increasing.

A team official stated, "Oh Hyeon-gyu's (Besiktas) winning goal against the Czech Republic was a scene created by a rehearsed play, much like a 'no-look pass,'" adding, "Such plays were not easy during friendly matches, but as the tournament progresses, the accumulated training volume is leading to more rehearsed plays."

South Korea will play its second group stage match against Mexico at Guadalajara Stadium on June 19 at 10:00 a.m.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.