The strikers hoping to be selected by national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann (59) are brimming with confidence. Competition for the front line has intensified recently with Hwang Eui-jo (31-FC Seoul), Cho Kyu-sung (25-Foreign Hyundai) and Oh Hyun-gyu (22-Celtic) all showing good form, while the battle for the second striker spot has also intensified with captain Son Heung-min (31-Tottenham) recently undergoing hernia surgery.먹튀검증
One of the most confident players is ‘Qatar Star’ Cho Kyu-sung. The tallest frontline striker in the squad (189 centimeters), he raised his profile at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Although he was sluggish due to a calf injury and the aftermath of a failed overseas trip earlier this year, he picked up momentum by scoring multiple goals in a K League 1 match against Gangwon FC on the 11th, the day before the national team was called up.
At the press conference for the call-up training at Gudeok Stadium in Busan on the 14th, Cho said, “I’m in great shape. If (coach Klinsmann) gives me a chance to play, I want to score goals,” he said confidently.
Cho has four goals in nine K League 1 games this season. Compared to last season (31 games, 17 goals, 4 assists), when he was the top scorer in his debut, his pace has been slower, but he said, “Unlike the beginning of the season, my shots have increased to four or five per game recently.” “A striker must eventually prove himself with goals,” he added.
The South Korean national soccer team held a training session on Thursday at Gudeok Stadium in Busan ahead of their upcoming friendlies against Peru and El Salvador. Korean coach Klinsmann and players have a team meeting. BUSAN | Reporter Joo Hyun-hee teth1147@donga.com
“My brother (Hwang) also scored a goal last weekend, and (Oh) Hyun-gyu did well at Celtic, so I’m proud to be part of the national team and learned a lot from them,” Cho Kyu-sung said. “The coach likes to have numerical superiority in the opponent’s penalty box. When we go on the attack, he advised us to finish with a shot.”
Second-choice striker Na Sang-ho (27-FC Seoul) is also looking to continue his recent form as the second-leading scorer in the K League One (eight goals and two assists in 18 games). He was heavily criticized during the tenure of former coach Paulo Bento (Portugal), but his performance at the World Cup in Qatar changed that, and he has continued to perform well in the K League. “I always prepared with the idea of increasing the competitiveness of the national team,” said Na Sang-ho, “and I am confident that the confidence I gained at the Qatar World Cup will carry over to the K League 1.”