South Korea's U-23 team trains in secret for Czech clash

The South Korean national football team, nicknamed the 'Hong Myung-ho,' is intensifying preparations for their opening match against the Czech Republic in the U-23 Asian Cup, scheduled in two days. The team is currently undergoing a highly secured, closed-door training session focused on refining set-piece tactics.

Coach Hong Myung-bo has stressed the critical role of set-piece plays, particularly free kicks and corner kicks, in overcoming the physically imposing Czech team, which boasts many players over 190cm tall. These specific strategies have been deliberately concealed during previous friendly matches to maintain an element of surprise for the upcoming tournament.

Following their arrival in Guadalajara, the team initially held open training sessions and allowed media access for the first 15 minutes of practices on June 7-9. However, for their final crucial training on June 10, security was significantly heightened. Military police armed with machine guns guarded the training venue, and barbed wire was installed along the fences, ensuring absolute privacy for the team's tactical work.

According to a team official, the training session lasted approximately 1.5 hours, starting with basic warm-ups, agility drills, and passing exercises. The primary focus, however, was on intensive offensive, defensive, and set-piece tactical drills. This concentrated effort on set pieces aims to maximize their effectiveness against the Czech Republic's height advantage.

The 'Hong Myung-ho' will conclude their preparations with an official press conference and a final training session on June 11. They are set to face the Czech Republic in their first Group A match at the Estadio Jalisco on June 12 at 11 AM local time.

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Set pieces were not exposed in the friendly matches. We plan to increase their completeness through set-piece training once we arrive in Mexico.