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 made it to the final 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has been stuck on the bench during the World Cup itself. Even considering the 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. Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda) was deployed on the opposite side. In fact, this was not far outside the realm of expectation. 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 again to replace Seol Young-woo, and Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic FC) was selected as the substitute option on the opposite wingback spot. 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 that he can handle both the right and left sides, but Castrof has already shown excellent performance as a "left wingback" for his club team. In fact, since the formation of the Hong Myung-bo national team, Seol Young-woo has been deployed on the left in only 2 out of the previous 17 matches, making his presence on the right side absolutely dominant. Yet, Coach Hong Myung-bo chose Seol Young-woo's position shift over utilizing Castrof, the "specialist left wingback," on the World Cup stage.

Furthermore, even as a substitute option, Eom Ji-sung was chosen again instead of himself, making it appear that Castrof's chances to take the left wingback spot have diminished even further. Of course, he can also play in the midfield, but the central midfield position already has a clear starting and backup structure, leaving Castrof with no obvious opportunity to break in. His multi-position advantage, capable of playing both left wingback and midfield, is not shining during the North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup.

Fortunately, the final group stage match against South Africa on the 25th offers a wider margin for player deployment, as a draw would be enough to advance to the Round of 32, and there is a clear objective gap in team strength. 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 throughout the World Cup, compounded by the deep depth at left wingback. The situation where a player who survived the fierce final roster competition ends up being sidelined as if outside the coach's plans after the World Cup opens is not a welcome development for either the national team or Castrof.

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*This content was translated by AI.