South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo is chasing two rabbits as the Taegeuk Warriors gear up for an away friendly match against the United States this weekend, hoping his players stick to a proper process and also come away with a good result.
"It's important to get the result we want playing the way we want," Hong told reporters at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, on Friday (local time), the same venue where South Korea and the U.S. will square off Saturday evening. "It's also crucial for us to execute the tactics we've been working on against a strong opponent. The best-case scenario for us will be to accomplish both of those elements."
Hong's South Korea are ranked 23rd in the FIFA rankings, eight spots below the U.S., coached by Mauricio Pochettino.
This will be South Korea's first match since qualifying for next year's FIFA World Cup that Hong will have the services of stars from foreign leagues. In July, South Korea hosted and competed at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship only with players from the domestic and the Japanese leagues.
One player joining from Europe is Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Jens Castrop, who has a Korean mother and a German father. He is the first foreign-born player of mixed heritage to join the South Korean men's senior national football team.
"He has settled in nicely with the national team during his short time here," Hong said. "We've been giving him feedback on tactical movements. We'll see if he will get to play for us and I think we should give him plenty of time (to prepare)."
After the U.S. match, South Korea will travel to Nashville, Tennessee, to play Mexico on Tuesday. With the U.S. being one of three co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, along with Mexico and Canada, Hong sees this trip as an opportunity to get an early glimpse into playing conditions in America.
"The World Cup will be played a little earlier in the calendar but based on weather conditions this month, we can estimate what it's going to be like playing around here in June," Hong said. "Chances are we may end up playing some matches on the East Coast. Our federation is working hard to set up our base camp." (Yonhap)
