Hong Myung-bo (55), head coach of the South Korean national soccer team, explains why he did not select Lee Young-joon (21, Grasshopper).
The Korea Football Association (KFA) held a press conference to announce the national team roster at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the Korea Football Association Football Hall in Sinmun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
The men’s national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play two away matches against Kuwait on Sept. 14 and Palestine on Sept. 19 in the third round of World Cup qualifying. The 26-man roster was unveiled today.
Four players made their first appearance in the squad, with Son Heung-min returning to the roster after being left out of the squad in October. They are Gwangju FC’s Kim Kyung-min, Pohang Steelers’ Lee Tae-seok, Gimcheon Sangmu’s Kim Bong-soo, and Hannover 96’s Lee Hyun-joo.
However,
Lee Young-joon, who is playing for Swiss club Grasshopper Club Zurich, 카지노사이트 did not make the roster. “We chose to keep the basic skeleton of the national team while also selecting future resources to accompany us,” said Hong Myung-bo, but Lee was an exception.
After his move to Grasshopper, Lee started well, scoring two goals in his first official match. He hasn’t scored a goal in five games since, but his 6-foot-3 frame makes him a valuable addition to the squad as an orthodox striker.
Hong explained Lee’s omission. “I thought he was having a very good time for himself,” he said.
“When I checked him once and Coach João Arroso double-checked him, we decided it was too early for him to be in the national team,” he said.
“But I was convinced that he would be a good resource in the future,” he said, adding that he believes Lee can be a national striker in the future, if not right away.
Meanwhile, three other strikers were named to the roster in place of Lee. Oh Hyun-kyu of KRC Henk, veteran Ulsan HD striker Lee Min-kyu, and another long striker, Oh Se-hoon, who plays for Japan’s Machida Zelvia.