"I was so anxious." The intimidating presence of 'tall players' that even made Ki Sung-yueng tremble... '10 players over 190cm' — the biggest challenge against Czech Republic

*This content was translated by AI.

The match against Czech Republic, which will serve as the 'biggest watershed' determining the success or failure of the South Korean national football team at the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup, is just three days away. The biggest challenge is how to overcome the height of Czech Republic, a 'tall army' with no fewer than 10 players standing 190cm or taller.

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, will play the first group stage match of Group A in the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico on the 12th at 11 a.m. (Korean time). In the FIFA rankings, South Korea is ranked 25th and Czech Republic 41st, placing South Korea 16 spots ahead. In head-to-head records, South Korea trails with one win, two draws, and two losses.

As with the group stage of any tournament, the importance of the first match is great. Especially in this tournament, not only the top two teams in each group but also the third-place team has a chance to advance to the round of 32. If South Korea secures three points from the first match, it can greatly increase its chances of advancing from the group stage and continue the remaining group stage journey without burden. Conversely, if the team's momentum is broken in the first match, the remaining group stage journey will become arduous.

The biggest watershed to secure a favorable position in the match against Czech Republic is 'overcoming the height difference.' According to FIFA, the average height of the Czech Republic squad, based on the 26th-player final World Cup roster, is a whopping 185.7cm, the largest in Group A. Among the 26th players, no fewer than 10 are 190cm or taller. This places them among the top in the entire World Cup involving 48 nations, not just in Group A. South Korea's average height is 181.9cm, ranking second in Group A.

The same applies to players likely to start against South Korea. According to Squawka, a football statistics media outlet, which projected the Czech Republic's expected starting lineup for the match against South Korea, four out of the 11th players are expected to be 190cm or taller. Goalkeeper Matej Kovar (PSV Eindhoven) is the tallest at 196cm, midfielder Tomáš Souček (West Ham United) is 192cm, and forwards Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen) and center-back Ladislav Krejčí (Wolverhampton) are both 191cm.

Moreover, Adam Hložek (188cm) and Robin Hranáč (189cm, both from Hoffenheim) are also considered tall players likely to start against South Korea. In addition, four field players over 190cm, including 199cm tall striker Tomáš Horák (Slavia Prague), who is close to 2m, are preparing to come off the bench. It is truly a 'tall army.'

In matches against teams with many tall players, the burden on set pieces inevitably increases. Veteran Ki Sung-yueng (Pohang Steelers), who has played in no fewer than 110 A-matches and appeared in three World Cups, is a player who knows this burden better than anyone. Ki Sung-yueng appeared on JTBC Sports' 'Bbaebak World Class Show' released on the 8th and recalled the match against Sweden during the 2018 FIFA Russia World Cup. Although Ki Sung-yueng is not particularly short at 189cm, he reflected that the burden of facing many tall players in the match against Sweden was significant.

Ki Sung-yueng said, "Whenever we faced set-piece situations back then, I was so anxious. Whether it was a corner kick or a free kick, I was extremely anxious. The Czech players will likely feel the same." He added, "If four players over 190cm enter the box during a corner kick, throw-in, or free kick, the intimidation they project will be strong. If we concede an early goal from such situations, it will become extremely difficult for the South Korean national team from that point on."

Of course, South Korea also has some tall players, including Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Jo Woo-je (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), both standing at 190cm, as well as Cho Gue-sung and Lee Han-beom (both from Midtjylland), both at 188cm. However, this does not compare to Czech Republic. In fact, Czech Republic has publicly revealed plans to exploit height differences to attack South Korea even before the match. In response, Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the South Korean national team, stated, "We will pay close attention to high aerial plays and crosses utilizing the opponent's height, and we will definitely overcome the disadvantage caused by the height difference tactically."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.