Coach Hong Myung-bo and the player have different words', How to use the new 'three-minute' rule that has emerged as a challenge

*This content was translated by AI.

The last match against Ivory Coast, which ended with a 0-4 defeat by the South Korean national soccer team, was also the first match to be applied with new rules introduced by FIFA. It is a "hydration break" rule that gives three minutes of rest after 22 minutes in the first half and 22 minutes in the second half.

The rule is different from the cooling brake, which gives about a minute to drink water at the discretion of the referee to protect players such as heat waves. The time has been increased to three minutes and must be applied unconditionally without conditions such as weather. It is for the same reason that there is an expression that soccer has become a fourth quarter game, not the first or second half.

While the instructions from the bench during the game are limited in many ways, from now on, the coach has been given an opportunity to gather the players and modify or direct detailed tactics. In fact, during the hydration break during the last Ivory Coast match, all players, including goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo, gathered in front of the bench to listen to coach Hong Myung-bo's instructions.

However, there are different stories inside the national team regarding the first "hydration brake" effect. Coach Hong Myung-bo mentioned that the hydration break was the cause of the players' lack of concentration, while Seol Young-woo (Trvena Zvezda) expressed his position as a "consequential story."

Coach Hong Myung-bo said in an official press conference after the match against Ivory Coast, "There was a break time (hydration), and it was very good until then, but I think I was a little less focused after that three-minute period. I thought it was important to us ahead of the World Cup," he said, expressing regret.

On the other hand, Seol Young-woo said, "Before the break, the play was coming out as prepared," but added, "I think it's actually consequential." Rather than losing concentration after (hydration break), I think the opponent prepared better for Korea. Some of them were quick to lose points. We also had a lot of chances, but if we had saved it first, we would have had different results," he said.

In the end, coach Hong Myung-bo expressed regret over the players' lack of concentration after the hydration break, while Seol Young-woo, who played in person, focused more on the Ivory Coast's "change" in preparation for Korean tactics than on the Korean national team's own lack of concentration. In fact, it is also worth noting that both of Korea's first two runs in the first half came after the hydration break.

The hydration break will be applied not only to this game but also to the 2026 FIFA U.S. World Cup. It seems to have been confirmed through the match against Ivory Coast that it should be used as an opportunity to quickly respond to the opponent's tactics beyond simply catching breath or encouraging them. As such, the tactical capabilities and roles of the bench, including head coach Hong Myung-bo, have become more important. The second warm-up match of Hong Myung-bo Team's March A match, which will confirm the changed use of the new regulations, is against Austria in Vienna, Austria, at 3:45 a.m. (Korean time) on the 1st of next month.

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*This content was translated by AI.