[Live Report] 'Bundesliga 16-goal bomber, Player of the Year' Hong Myung-bo's team to batter the goal... 'Powerful' Czech LINE-up revealed

*This content was translated by AI.

Czech Republic (ranked 41st), the opponent in the first group stage match of the Republic of Korea's national football team at the World Cup, has announced a full-strength lineup, signaling a fierce battle.

The Czech national team, led by head coach Miroslav Koubek, will face the Republic of Korea national team (ranked 25th) in the first match of Group A of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup group stage at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, at 11 a.m. on the 12th (Korean time).

According to the LINE-up released prior to the match, the Czech Republic will deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, just like South Korea. They are expected to threaten the Korean goal with overwhelming physicality, boasting an average height of 187cm, and precise set pieces.

At the forefront, Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen), who has scored 16 goals in the German Bundesliga this season, will lead the attack. Schick, who was co-top scorer in the Euro 2020 tournament with 6 goals in 7 matches, is known for his powerful heading ability, having scored 3 of his 5 goals in the European qualifiers with his head.

In the second line of attacking midfielders, Pavel Šulc (Lyon), named Czech Player of the Year this year, and Lukáš Provod (Slavia Prague), who has been performing impressively with 7 goals and 10 assists in the Czech league this season, will be deployed to link up with Schick.

The midfield LINE will be anchored by veteran midfielder Tomáš Souček (West Ham United) of the English Premier League (EPL), with Aleksandar Sokić (Viktoria Plzeň) as his partner. On the left and right wing-back positions, Vladimír Coufal (Hoffenheim) and Jaroslav Zelený (Slavia Prague) will be deployed.

The three-man backline consists of Štěpán Halvařík (Slavia Prague), Robin Hranáč (Hoffenheim), and Ladislav Krejčí (Wolverhampton Wanderers). Krejčí, a key defender for the Czech Republic and a teammate of South Korean national team striker Hwang Hee-chan, will serve as the left-sided center-back and captain, leading the defensive LINE.

The final line of defense is guarded by Matej Kovar (PSV Eindhoven), the hero who led the Czech Republic to the World Cup finals with remarkable saves during the European regional World Cup final playoff matches. Kovar not only excels in shot-stopping but also plays a crucial role as the starting point of Czech attacks with his precise build-up ability using both feet freely.

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*This content was translated by AI.