"Son Heung-min and Oh Hyun-kyu co-exist." It didn't end? Coach Hong Myung-bo did not find the answer to "Only 3 months before the World Cup." "Nothing has been decided yet, but..." [the scene of Cheonan]

*This content was translated by AI.

"You need to maximize the strength of all players..."

Coach Hong Myung-bo is still considering how to use Son Heung-min (Los Angeles FC) and Oh Hyun-kyu (Besiktashi JK). We cannot rule out a scenario in which two of Korea's best strikers cannot stand on the ground at the same time.

At a press conference to announce the list of European away warm-up matches held at 2 p.m. on the 16th at Cheonan Korea Football Park in Chungcheongnam-do, Hong Myung-bo said, "Nothing has been decided yet. It will be utilized depending on the situation. We are considering ways to maximize the strengths of all players," he said, showing a cautious attitude.

Although it is only three months before the World Cup finals, coach Hong Myung-bo's concerns are still ongoing. In particular, it seems even more so as the contrast between the two key strikers, who will be responsible for the front line, is clearly divided in their teams.

The biggest concern is the silence of ace Son Heung-min. Son Heung-min has failed to score a field goal in seven consecutive official games this season, and has been in a goal drought.

Even Son Heung-min is playing as an offensive midfielder, not a striker, which is his existing position after changing his team's coach. In the Major League Soccer (MLS) game against St. Louis City on the 15th, he played just behind the one-top striker, but was replaced in the 26th minute of the second half after struggling with both shots blocked by the defense wall.

Compared to the explosive power that drove 12 goals in 13 games last season, the destructive power has dropped sharply. As he focused on playing the role of a playmaker under new coach Mark dos Santos, his scoring instincts became dull.

Manager Hong Myung-bo responded, "Son Heung-min says he is not scoring, but he is doing his part well. "He is an indispensable player in the team," he said, sending trust. In the end, finding the best combination to maximize Son Heung-min's sharp scoring ability on the main stage is also left as a task.

On the other hand, Oh Hyun-kyu is showing off his sensational presence on the Turkiye stage. Oh Hyun-kyu, who moved to Besiktashi last month, scored three goals and one assist in four games in February, winning the February Player of the Month Award selected by local media "HTSpor." It is the first milestone in Besiktashi's club's history in 123 years that he has scored three consecutive goals since his transfer. In addition, Oh Hyun-kyu has maintained his peak sense of goal by scoring his fourth goal since moving to the Cup in March.

From Hong Myung-bo's point of view, he is at a crossroads of choice whether to maximize firepower or seek synergy through coexistence with Son Heung-min by starting Oh Hyun-kyu, who is prominent on the Turkiye stage.

A representative successful example of coexistence is the match against Mexico in September last year. At the time, head coach Hong Myung-bo placed Son Heung-min on the left side, who started Oh Hyun-kyu as one-top and replaced him in the second half. When Oh Hyun-kyu pulled out the opponent's defense with a strong post play from the front, Son Heung-min dug in from the side to the center to finish. On this day, Son Heung-min finished the ball that Oh Hyun-kyu dropped with his head with a volley shot and combined for a come-from-behind goal against Mexico with fantastic breathing.

But not all experiments were satisfactory. In last year's match against Paraguay, Son Heung-min started but failed to score, and Oh Hyun-kyu, who was substituted, tasted the goal and was happy and sad. In addition, coach Hong Myung-bo's struggles continue, with Son Heung-min missing Oh Hyun-kyu instead of starting as a one-top player in the match against Bolivia and checking Son Heung-min-centered one-top tactics.

It is expected that the combination of frontline resources will be finally checked through an expedition to Europe in March. Coach Hong Myung-bo said, "We will select the player with the best performance and physical condition just before the main match," adding, "This warm-up match is important both in the results and contents." The first thing to do is to understand the competitiveness of the finals," he stressed.

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*This content was translated by AI.