"I have good memories every time I come to Qatar"

“I have good memories every time I come to Qatar”

Korean men's national soccer team striker Cho Gyu-seong (26, Midtjylland) pledged to keep good memories in Qatar, the 'land of opportunity.' He is ready to shake off his regrets about the first group match against Bahrain and show off his striker instincts. Jo Gyu-seong said he trusted his colleagues and laughed, saying, “I think I’ll just have to do well.”

Cho Gyu-seong, who was interviewed before training at the Al Egla Training Center in Doha, Qatar on the 17th, was asked if he was trying to bring back good memories from Qatar. “I have good memories every time I come.” Even when he was at Jeonbuk Hyundai, he played and scored in an Asian Champions League match. “I think there will be good results if I approach the game with positive thoughts rather than reliving memories,” he said.

Qatar was a land of opportunity for him. Although he was defeated by Hwang Ui-jo (32, Nottingham) in the first group match against Uruguay at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, he started as a starter in the second match against Ghana and headed all crosses from Lee Kang-in (23, Paris Saint-Germain) and Kim Jin-su (32, Jeonbuk). He scored multiple goals by receiving it. He became the first player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match in Korean soccer history. Although the national team lost 2-3, Cho Gyu-seong's name was announced to the world.

Afterwards, he received offers from several overseas clubs, including Mainz in the German Bundesliga, in the winter transfer market last year. Last summer, he chose the Danish club Midtjylland. As soon as he got there, he played in 16 games and scored 8 goals and 2 assists, and is cruising with double-digit attack points. He was also named in the Danish League's Best Eleven in the first half of the year. If he shows more success in this Asian Cup, he may also want to aim for the big leagues.

However, he looked back and said that his performance against Bahrain was disappointing. Cho Gyu-seong said, “There were chances to score, but I think we had a difficult time because we couldn’t capitalize on them. “It’s my first game, so I think I’ve warmed up now, and I’ll try to prepare well for the next game.”

Ahead of the Asian Cup, Cho Gyu-seong's shoulders became even heavier as frontline resource Hwang Ui-jo was temporarily excluded from the national team on suspicion of illegal filming. Instead of looking for other frontline resources, coach Jurgen Klinsmann decided to play the Qatar Asian Cup with only Cho Kyu-seong and Oh Hyun-gyu (23, Celtic). As captain Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham) also has a top card, it was decided that it would be worth a try with his existing resources.

Coach Klinsmann shows trust in Cho Gyu-seong by consistently giving him opportunities to play as a starter. As a former world-class striker, he tries to give more advice. Cho Gyu-seong said, “The coach always tells me to go into the box area a lot. In the first game, I tried to go down, but I think if I think about the advice you gave me and try to take advantage of the opportunity, I will get good results.” At the same time, he said that he is thinking about how to get better at holding and linking plays while fighting in the box in preparation for when he comes up against teams that play tight defense.

He said that he thought it was a good thing for the team that the midfielders scored more goals in the first leg. Cho Gyu-seong said, “Strikers don’t score a goal every game,” and added, “I think it’s a positive sign if attackers score from other positions when they can’t score.”

Regarding Jordan, the opponent for the second game on the 20th, “I think Jordan is also strong in the offensive department. However, as you know, we have (Kim) Min-jae (28, Bayern Munich), so there is nothing to worry about defensively, so I think we can win.”

His trust in Lee Kang-in, who could create scoring opportunities for him with his sharp crosses, remained. Jo Gyu-seong said, “There was a scene like that in the second half of the first game, but as I always say, I think I just have to do well. “Because Kangin is so good, I think that if I just focus, I will definitely score a goal,” he said, strengthening his resolve.

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