Learning from 12 Years Ago: A 'Masterstroke' That Paid Off Against Czech Republic

[Anchor]

Ahead of this tournament, our national team spent over three weeks at high altitude to thoroughly adapt to the environment in Mexico. This decision proved to be a "masterstroke." By overwhelming their opponents—who were drained by the high altitude—with superior stamina, the team pulled off a thrilling comeback victory.

Here is the report from Hong Seok-jun.

[Reporter]

The biggest reason for the early elimination of the Hong Myung-bo squad with one draw and two losses at the 2014 Brazil tournament was a "failure in condition management."

Because the yellow fever vaccinations were administered late, many players could not find their form even after the tournament began, leading to poor performance.

Taking that failure 12 years ago as a lesson, Coach Hong prepared thoroughly.

Ahead of this tournament, which is being held at high altitude, he consulted with experts and set up a pre-tournament camp in Salt Lake City, USA, and a base camp in Guadalajara, where the first and second matches are taking place.

After spending over three weeks at high altitude since May 19 to complete their adaptation, Coach Hong expressed confidence.

[Hong Myung-bo/Head Coach of the National Football Team (Yesterday): I believe our team has been diligent in every aspect while preparing for this tournament.]

The results of the training shone through from the very first match.

The legs of the Czech players, who had arrived at the high-altitude venue just a day earlier, grew increasingly heavy. Meanwhile, our team, still full of energy, continuously attacked the space behind the Czech defense, scoring two goals after the midway point of the second half to secure a thrilling comeback.

[Hong Myung-bo/Head Coach of the National Football Team (Today): Our players followed everything we had prepared very thoroughly.]

In today's match, the national team dominated with 56% possession compared to 34% for the Czech Republic, and created the foundation for victory by forcing 10 more turnovers through aggressive pressing.

[Oh Hyeon-gyu/National Team Forward: We have been preparing since Salt Lake City, overcoming really tough training sessions. That experience became our strength and helped us (achieve this victory).]

Having secured a win through stamina built on thorough preparation, the national team now prepares for another victory in a week's time.

(Video coverage: Hwang In-seok, Video editing: Hwang Ji-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.