*This content was translated by AI.
The Austrian media expressed regret when South Korea was confirmed against the A-match warm-up match in March.
The Korea Football Association said on the 20th, "We will play a friendly match against Austria at 3:45 a.m. on April 1 (March 31 at 8:45 p.m. local time) at Ernst Havel Stadion in Vienna, the capital of Austria."
This resulted in the first face-off between South Korea and the Austrian A team. Austria is expected to be a mock test in preparation for the showdown against the winner of the European Playoff Group D (Denmark, Czech Republic, North Macedonia, and Ireland), which South Korea will face in the first group match of the World Cup.
Austria, led by German coach Ralph Rangnick, ranks 24th in the FIFA rankings, two places lower than South Korea (22nd).
Austria advanced directly to the World Cup finals as No. 1 in the group, beating out prominent opponents such as Romania and Bostia-Herzegovina in Group H of the European qualifying round in North American World Cup. It is the first time in 28 years that Austria will go to the World Cup since the 1998 World Cup in France.
Austria is by no means an easy match. In addition to going straight to the World Cup finals, he showed off his power to defeat Poland and the Netherlands in the last Euro 2024. It is expected to be the best opportunity to check Hong Myung-bo's strength ahead of the World Cup as he has proven solid organizational power and power in major competitions.
Kim Hwan, a soccer commentator, also told Star News that Austria is a team that can make a splash in the group stage. He said, "There are no clear star players, but the players are evenly outstanding. It's a bit of a shame for the striker and the goalkeeper, but the defense and midfielder are solid. In particular, if you look at midfielders such as Konrad Leimer (Bayern Munich), Marcel Javicher (Dortmund), and Christophe Baumgartner (Lewich), he explained, "They are quite high in the World Cup." "Because the soccer style is quite good, it will be a team worth watching tactically," he said.
Other key players include captain and veteran defender David Alaba (Real Madrid) and Marco Arnautovic (Trvena Zvezda), who is called "Austria's Zlatan" and has the record of most goals (47 goals) in the national team's history.
In Austria, expectations and concerns coexist about a showdown with South Korea. The Austrian version of 'Kicker' recently said, "We acknowledge its tactical suitability, but its strength as a sparring partner is questionable."
First of all, coach Rangnick said, "The reason is clear," regarding the background of choosing South Korea (and Ghana) as an A-match partner in March. Analysts say it is a "customized" warm-up match against Jordan, an Asian team that Austria will face in Group J of the North American World Cup group stage.
At the same time, he expressed a questionable sign, saying, "Is it really the right choice?" The media pointed out, "The team we have to face in the finals also includes Argentina, the 'South American champion,'" adding, "The question remains whether South Korea is strong enough to prepare for Argentina's strength or Algeria's physical and technical level." They argue that they need to face a stronger opponent to increase their competitiveness in the World Cup finals.
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*This content was translated by AI.
