One Day Before Mexico Match: 'Illegal Drone' Appears During Closed Training

[Anchor]

The South Korean national football team held a closed-door tactical training session ahead of their second match against Mexico. During the session, an unexpected drone appeared.

Lee Jung-chan reports from Guadalajara.

[Reporter]

With all 26 players present and no injuries, the national team completely shut the doors to the training ground, blocking access to the media to focus on tactical drills.

Unlike the Czech Republic, which relies on power and height, Mexico plays a defensive, pragmatic style of football. To break through their organization, the team repeatedly practiced tactics based on specific situations and positions.

South Korean football has never won a second match in World Cup history, recording 4 draws and 7 losses. The last time they defeated Mexico in an A-match was 20 years ago.

The team is determined to break this jinx and secure a spot in the knockout stage after just two group matches for the first time in history.

[Hong Myung-bo / Head Coach of the National Football Team: We won our first match, so the atmosphere is very good. I think we are becoming a 'one team' faster than expected.]

While the team focused on closed-door tactical training under 'ironclad security,' they are carefully preparing for their first-ever second-match victory.

However, while the players were doing their initial warm-up exercises, an 'illegal drone' that had not been approved by FIFA was spotted in the sky above the training ground, prompting an immediate response from local military and police.

Two men, presumed to be the operators, retrieved the crashed drone and fled the scene, and the police have launched an investigation.

[Lee Jae-chul / Media Officer for the National Football Team: We took measures to bring it down at the scene. It did not affect the team's training atmosphere. Most of the time, these acts are committed by ordinary people out of curiosity.]

Even though there was no exposure of team tactics, tension and vigilance regarding security have heightened ahead of what is effectively a 'battle for first place in the group' against the host nation, Mexico.

(Video coverage: Hwang In-seok | Video editing: Chae Cheol-ho | Design: Kim Min-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.