South Korea football team eyes World Cup, coach Hong Myung-bo targets finishing and defense

South Korea's national football team concluded their pre-World Cup training camp in Salt Lake City with two victories, defeating Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 and El Salvador 1-0. These clean sheet wins provided a positive send-off as the team heads to Mexico for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

However, head coach Hong Myung-bo acknowledged lingering concerns despite the favorable results. He pointed to the team's finishing ability as a key area needing improvement, noting that many scoring opportunities were missed, particularly in the first half of the Trinidad and Tobago match. While goals eventually came, including a penalty and a late opportunistic score, the efficiency in converting chances remained a point of concern.

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There are attacking plays that need to be refined once we get to Mexico. We will prepare more thoroughly for detailed attacking sequences on-site.

The defense also showed moments of vulnerability. In both matches, the team experienced dangerous situations stemming from defensive errors, such as center-backs being caught out of position or misplacing passes. The coach stressed that such critical mistakes could prove fatal against stronger opponents in the World Cup, where scoring opportunities are scarce and conceding early could severely impact morale.

"There are attacking plays that need to be refined once we get to Mexico," Hong stated. "We will prepare more thoroughly for detailed attacking sequences on-site." He added that the team would dedicate significant training time to improving defensive aspects, emphasizing that preventing goals is the top priority. The focus will be on enhancing finishing and solidifying the defense to ensure better performance in the upcoming tournament.

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We will prepare more thoroughly for detailed attacking sequences on-site.