Ryu Ji-hyun, who was emotional, said, "Thank you to the players → It was unfair that it didn't work out as much as I prepared, but I will cry today.""

*This content was translated by AI.

Ryu Ji-hyun (55) of the Korean baseball team, who wrote the "miracle" of advancing to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time in 17 years in Tokyo, shed tears.

The Korean baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Ji-hyun (55), beat Australia 7-2 in the fourth Group C match of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Tokyo Dome, Japan, at 7 p.m. on the 9th.

With this, Korea tied Australia and Taiwan with two wins and two losses, but ranked second in the group ahead of the team's loss rate. After overcoming the desperate crisis of the group stage, he dramatically advanced to the quarterfinals and headed to Miami, where the quarterfinals will be held. In addition to having to catch Australia, he had to meet the tricky conditions of "less than two runs" and "winning by more than five points" at the same time after complex gains and losses calculations, but he worked wonders.

Coach Ryu Ji-hyun said in an interview immediately after the game, "The players must have suffered a lot because they couldn't win as they thought against Japan and Taiwan," adding, "I really want to praise the players who showed great concentration even under the pressure to win."

Director Ryu was unable to speak several times as if he was overwhelmed by emotions during the interview. "I've been preparing a lot for a year since the appointment of the coach in February last year," he said. "But the process was so unfair and painful because the game didn't go my way." "I thought I wouldn't come out anymore because I cried a lot earlier, but I'm crying again," he said, adding, "I think I can cry today."

On Cho Byung-hyun, who prevented a dramatic loss crisis in the eighth and ninth innings, which was the match, coach Ryu praised, "I overcame the stress and pressure that was difficult to imagine." In addition, he thanked Lee Jung-hoo, who showed a decisive defense in front of the fence, saying, "It's really great to show the judgment and execution ability to catch it directly in that situation."

In particular, in the crisis faced by Son Joo-young's sudden injury, the process of putting "Veteran" Noh Kyung-eun became a watershed moment in the game. "It's thanks to KBO employees and staff who used the injury replacement rules to buy time for Noh Kyung-eun to prepare," Ryu said. "Noh Kyung-eun's performance in charge of two innings in difficult situations will be a big foundation for his baseball life."

When asked about the driving force behind the miracle, coach Ryu firmly chose "preparation." "Although the process was not smooth, it was difficult, but in the end, the players saved the coach," he said, giving all the credit to the team.

As for the preparation for the quarterfinals in Miami, he answered tactfully, "I put all my capabilities into it today, so I want to take a rest today," but said, "I will thoroughly start preparing for the second round again from the moment I move tomorrow."

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*This content was translated by AI.