*This content was translated by AI.
"What I can say with confidence is 'preparation'. It was unfair that it didn't go as I thought, and I prepared so much that it was divided."
Director Ryu Ji-hyun (55) eventually burst into tears that he held back. It was a competition that caused a lot of concern as key pitching players who prepared for the World Baseball Classic (WBC), including Won Tae-in, Moon Dong-ju, Kim Ha-sung, and Song Sung-moon, left due to unfortunate injuries, but the result was the "Miracle of Tokyo" of advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years.
The Korean national baseball team beat Australia 7-2 in the fourth Group C match of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held 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.
Son Joo-young, who had been a starting pitcher since the beginning of the game, complained of discomfort in his sudden elbow. In a crisis situation where he had to raise an unprepared Noh Kyung-eun, manager Ryu bought time through agile communication with KBO employees.
Instead of immediately raising the Noh Kyung-eun, coach Ryu secured a valuable minute by taking advantage of the tournament regulations to put Son Joo-young on the mound first and then going through the "injury replacement" process. The referee and the Australian bench also accepted the request. For this one minute, Noh Kyung-eun was able to warm up enough, and as a result, he broke the opponent's flow and blocked two scoreless innings, setting the stage for victory.
In particular, coach Ryu Ji-hyun was unable to speak several times during the interview after the game and shed tears. This is because the painful times have been washed away with victory as the processes that have been prepared for more than a year since the appointment of the coach in February 2025 did not go as intended.
In fact, head coach Ryu said ahead of the game, "It's so unfair and upsetting to look back on the processes we've been through so far. It's a difficult situation, but in a way, it's also a game that gave us a chance again. I told the players that the game would be about three hours, so let's put everything into it."
In fact, there were also a number of injuries in the national team. Won Tae-in and Moon Dong-joo, who were likely to play as the main players in the starting rotation, played well until the Saipan camp in January, but were eliminated from the national team due to unfortunate injuries. Major leaguers Kim Ha-sung and Song Sung-moon also suffered off-season injuries, preventing them from playing in the WBC. Despite these unfavorable factors, they achieved a great achievement.
Coach Ryu Ji-hyun said, "Today is the most memorable victory in my life as a coach," adding, "I'm also very grateful to the players who trust and follow the coach's system." Rather than anyone doing well, everyone wearing the Korean uniform did well. I think this part is very meaningful," he laughed.
Ryu Ji-hyun's baseball, which turned pessimism into praise, is now heading to Miami, where the quarterfinals will be held. "I want to take a rest today," he said with a big smile, looking higher with 'thorough preparation' once again.
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*This content was translated by AI.
