'Strongest in Group A' Coach Hong Myung-bo ahead of Mexico match: "I want to surpass the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup quarterfinals" [World Cup on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

This is effectively a decisive match for first place in the group. Coach Hong Myung-bo of the South Korea national football team emphasized victory above all else rather than calculating possible scenarios.

Coach Hong Myung-bo of the South Korea national football team stated at the official pre-match press conference held at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, at 3:30 p.m. local time on the 17th: "We will be playing against the host team. This will be the best match for South Korea in the group stage. We will do our best to play a good game."

Hong's team secured a favorable position for advancing to the Round of 32 with a 2-1 comeback victory against Czechia in the first match. Mexico also defeated South Africa 2-0 in the opening match of the World Cup. Since the head-to-head principle takes precedence in case of equal points in the group stage of this tournament, the outcome of this match could effectively determine the group leader. South Korea will play the second group stage match against Mexico here at 10 a.m. on the 19th.

Overcoming the one-sided home crowd support from host Mexico is also key. Coach Hong Myung-bo said, "Home matches come with other difficulties. We must overcome them well," and added, "I am grateful that Mexican fans supported South Korea in the first match. Tomorrow we will face them as opponents, and the players are aware of the home team's advantage. Having already played in front of many spectators, finding the game rhythm will be important."

Coach Hong continued, "Czechia and Mexico are completely different teams. I shared this with the players," and added, "Mexico will come out very strongly. We must prepare well."

About a week was given to prepare for the Mexico match after the first match against Czechia. Coach Hong said, "It was enough time for the players to recover. It was also a good time to prepare for the opponent," but also noted, "However, it is not easy to show what was prepared during the match. Controlling variables during the game is important." He further added, "We gained a lot from last year's match against Mexico (2-2 draw)," and expressed his expectation: "We did not give up in the first match against Czechia and fulfilled our roles to secure victory. I hope they show well in tomorrow's match as well."

Regarding the illegal drone incident that occurred the previous day, he said, "I learned that a drone was shot down during training. Fortunately, it happened before tactical training, so it was not significantly affected. However, I regret that such an incident occurred during the most critical time for match preparation." According to a Korea Football Association official, the drone was shot down due to signal jamming by the Mexican military, and two men collected it and fled; local police and FIFA are currently investigating. Fortunately, the incident ended during the warm-up stage, so there was no damage from tactical exposure.

Regarding defensive key player Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), he said, "Everyone knows the importance of Kim Min-jae," and added, "Defense relies not only on individual ability but more on organizational strength. Mexican attackers move well, and when they momentarily slip away, coordination with surrounding players will be crucial."

A local Mexican reporter also mentioned the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. Coach Hong said, "I hope this squad surpasses the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup quarterfinal record," and showed confidence: "Mexican players have excellent skills. Their midfielders are creative. I believe the players have prepared sufficiently, so there is nothing to worry about."

When asked if the best 11 had been finalized, he replied, "It is done. The players are in good condition."

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*This content was translated by AI.