'Internal solidarity'

"The players are under a lot of pressure (from the outside world). I hope the media and soccer fans will help us to focus and prepare for the game."

The Korean men's national soccer team conducted training completely behind closed doors on Wednesday, the second day of its A-match convocation in March. There were no interviews with players at all. It was a special measure that interim coach Hwang Seon-hong took to rebuild the collapsed internal solidarity.

The unusual situation was repeated day after day. Coach Hwang convened his squad on the 18th to hold two consecutive games in Thailand for the second qualifying round for the 2026 North-China-U.S. World Cup in Asia. Seventeen players, excluding European players such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Cho Kyu-sung (Mitt Whelan), who arrived in Korea late after completing their team schedule, gathered at Goyang Stadium first. However, interviews with major players, which are customary procedures, were omitted, and only Hwang expressed his feelings briefly, about five minutes or so. The training was only available for the first 15 minutes.

The team also minimized contact with fans. The team has decided not to hold high-five events, open training sessions, or promotional events for sponsors. "As the match against Thailand will take place one after another, we need to gradually ease the players' burden," Hwang stressed. The team will play a home game against Thailand at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Wednesday, before departing for Thailand in the afternoon of the following day. The second round will take place in Bangkok, Thailand on the 26th.

The biggest issue is Lee Kang-in's attitude at the center of criticism. Returning to Korea via Incheon International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, Lee greeted the fans with a big smile on his face without any interviews, leaving the audience with his hands raised. Lee will express his feelings separately before the official training on Tuesday. Only when Lee responds with words and performance to Hwang's message delivered at a press conference right before the training, can the team boost the mood.

Son will continue to be the captain. After hurting his right finger during a physical fight between players at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup, Son made peace with Lee Kang-in, who came to London last month. However, it is the first time since the Asian Cup that he will meet as a teammate of the national team. Moreover, Hwang and Son only have one day to spend with Lee before the first match on Tuesday.

"The biggest concern is (lack of time). Ordering a lot of content can complicate players' minds. We will prepare as simple and intensive as possible," Hwang said. "We did not call each other separately," he said of Lee Kang-in. "We will decide whether to use him or not based on his face and condition."  토토사이트