Kim Min-jae-Kim Young-kwon A-match without ‘2 KIM’… Klinsmann says “it’s a chance for new players”
The national team will have to make do without Kim Min-jae (Napoli) and Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan Hyundai) in defence.
Jürgen Klinsmann’s South Korea national football team announced a 23-man squad on Friday morning ahead of two friendly A matches in June. South Korea will play Peru and El Salvador on 16 and 20 June in Busan and Daejeon respectively.스포츠토토
Compared to the March A-Match roster, the biggest change is in defence. In March, Klinsmann had just been appointed when South Korea played Colombia and Uruguay, and the Korean Football Association (KFA) selected the roster for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, so this June’s A-Match roster is effectively Klinsmann’s first.
The seven defenders on the list are Seol Young-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Lee Ki-je (Suwon Samsung), Kim Jin-soo (Jeonbuk Hyundai), Ahn Hyun-beom (Jeju United), Kwon Kyung-won (Gamba Osaka), Kim Joo-sung (FC Seoul) and Park Ji-soo (Portimonense). Ahn is a first-time call-up, while Seol Young-woo has played zero A matches and Kim Joo-seong has played one A match.
Existing core defender Kim Min-jae is scheduled for basic military training in June. Kim Young-kwon was injured in a K League match. The Korean national team will have to deploy a defensive Plan B during these two friendlies.
“As a national team coach, military training and injury variables are difficult,” said Klinsmann. There will be a lot of changes in the defence compared to March. We want to continue the continuity of the national team’s tactics, but it will be difficult in June,” said Klinsmann.
“Injuries to existing players can open up opportunities for others. It’s my job to bring out the best in new players. I’m sorry for the players who didn’t make the squad due to injury, but I hope the new players do well.”
During the season, Klinsmann travelled to Europe, including Italy, to meet with European players, including Kim Min-jae. “Kim won the Italian Serie A,” Klinsmann said. It’s a proud moment for me as a Korean coach. It will be an incredible memory that he will never forget,” he congratulated.
