Did Coach Hong Myung-bo turn against him? Castrof, the only player who didn't play a single minute as a wingback

*This content was translated by AI.

Jens Castrof (23, Borussia Mönchengladbach), who became the first foreign-born mixed-race player to be selected for the South Korean national football team and even made it to the final 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, has been confined to the bench during the World Cup itself. Even considering the intense nature of the World Cup where every match demands full effort, the fact that he remains the only wingback option who has not played a single minute amidst fierce competition is inevitably disappointing.

Earlier, Castrof had been on the bench from the first Group A match against the Czech Republic on the 12th. Coach Hong Myung-bo started Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien) at left wingback and substituted in Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City) in the second half. On the opposite side, Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda) was deployed. In fact, up to this point, the situation was not far from what was expected. The Lee Tae-seok-Seol Young-woo wingback lineup has frequently been used by Coach Hong Myung-bo as his starting lineup.

The problem arose in the second group stage match against Mexico on the 19th. Coach Hong suddenly moved Seol Young-woo, who had played at right wingback in the previous match against the Czech Republic, to the left side and positioned Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon Hana Citizen) on the right. Later in the second half, Eom Ji-sung was brought in to replace Seol Young-woo, and Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic FC) was selected as the substitute option for the opposite wingback position. Among the six players classified as wingback resources, Castrof is the only one who has not played a single minute.

In particular, Coach Hong Myung-bo's decision to opt for Seol Young-woo's "position shift" to fill the wingback spot left vacant by Lee Tae-seok, rather than Castrof, was unexpected. Of course, Seol Young-woo's advantage is his ability to play on both the right and left sides, but Castrof has already demonstrated excellent performance as a "left wingback" for his club team. In reality, Seol Young-woo has been deployed on the left in only two of the 17th matches since the formation of the Hong Myung-bo national team, indicating an overwhelming reliance on the right side. Yet, Coach Hong chose Seol Young-woo's position shift over utilizing Castrof, the "specialist left wingback," on the World Cup stage.

Furthermore, even among substitute options, Eom Ji-sung was chosen over him, making it appear that Castrof's chances to play at left wingback have diminished even further. Of course, he is also capable of playing in midfield, but the central midfield positions already have a clear distinction between starters and backups, leaving Castrof with little room to break in. His multi-position versatility, capable of playing both left wingback and midfield, is failing to shine during the North American World Cup.

Fortunately, the final group stage match against South Africa on the 26th offers a wider margin for player rotation, as a draw would be sufficient to advance to the Round of 32, and the objective gap in team strength is significant. However, if Castrof continues to be overlooked by Coach Hong Myung-bo even in the South Africa match, he may struggle to fit into the coach's plans for the entire World Cup, compounded by the depth of the left wingback options. It is not a welcome sight for either the national team or Castrof himself that a player who survived the fierce final roster competition ends up being sidelined as if outside the coach's plans after the World Cup begins.

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*This content was translated by AI.