Hong backs Son to deliver after naming South Korea World Cup squad

SEOUL: South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo has expressed confidence that captain Son Heung-min can rediscover his scoring touch at his fourth World Cup after including the forward in a 26-man squad for the tournament.

Son, 33, has found goals hard to come by since leaving Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer a year ago. He has scored twice for his new club, but Hong said the attacker has been used differently there and suggested that South Korea could help him become more effective again.

When I went to Los Angeles and watched the matches myself, I saw that he was playing in a somewhat different role compared to how we use him, in a slightly deeper position, which meant he wasn't getting many chances.

Hong said after announcing his squad.

So I believe we need to continue communicating with the players and work together on identifying which positions and roles are the most suitable and effective for each of them as we prepare.

South Korea have been drawn in Group A, where they will face World Cup co-hosts Mexico, the Czech Republic and South Africa. Son leads an experienced squad that also includes Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in, Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae and Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan.

Besiktas striker Oh Hyeon-gyu was also selected, along with Celtic's Yang Hyun-jun and Birmingham's Paik Seung-ho. German-born Jens Castrop of Borussia Moenchengladbach was among those named as well.

South Korea will play all of their first-round matches in Mexico and open their campaign against the Czech Republic on June 11. Hong said conditions in Guadalajara, where his team are due to play two matches, could pose a challenge because of the altitude.

Although the altitude we will be facing is not quite as extreme as that, we are none the less unaccustomed to high-altitude environments.

Hong said.

Consequently, we believe that adapting to the 1,600-metre elevation will be crucial for us.

He also referred to Son's experience of facing Mexican opposition for his club, saying it had left the forward with lingering exhaustion.

Hong has faced criticism since South Korea's March friendlies in Europe, where his side failed to score in either game. They lost 1-0 to Austria in Vienna and were then beaten 4-0 by Ivory Coast in England.

Despite those results, Hong said the team's immediate target at the World Cup was clear.

Our primary objective is to advance to the round of 32 in a strong position.

he said.

South Korea World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan), Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo/JPN), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk)

Defenders: Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich/GER), Kim Tae-hyon (Kashima Antlers/JPN), Park Jin-seob (Zhejiang/CHN), Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade/SER), Jens Castrop (Borussia Moenchengladbach/GER), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien/AUT), Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland/DEN), Cho Yu-min (Sharjah/UAE)

Midfielders: Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City/ENG), Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham/ENG), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic/SCO), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea/WAL), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz/GER), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord/NED), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers/ENG)

Forwards: Son Heung-min (LAFC/USA), Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besitkas/TUR), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland/DEN)