*This content was translated by AI.
Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City), who has been active as a wing joker under coach Hong Myung-bo, conveyed his firm resolve.
On the 19th (local time), Eom Ji-sung met reporters at Chivas Verde Valle in Guadalajara and said, "As a South Korean who cheered for the World Cup, it doesn't feel real that I am now playing in this tournament. I actually feel it's good that I am less nervous." He added, "The group stage is not over yet. Since there is still a chance to reach the round of 32, I will prepare well for the next match."
In this tournament, Eom Ji-sung has been playing as a wing joker. In the match against Czechia, he played 21 minutes on the right side of defense, and in the second match against Mexico, he was responsible for 19 minutes.
Notably, Eom Ji-sung shone in the 42nd minute of the second half when South Korea was trailing 0-1 against Mexico, delivering a precise right-footed cross to Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland).
Regarding that situation, Eom Ji-sung recalled, "When I was substituted in, Coach Hong Myung-bo instructed me to defend, engage in one-on-one duels, and then deliver a cross. I practiced that, and a good opportunity came up with good timing. I think it was just luck that I didn't score. If it had gone slightly to the side, it could have gone in."
Eom Ji-sung further stated, "For the next match, my priority is to strive to create many good scenes."
He also commented on the rough atmosphere of the previous match against Mexico. Regarding Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) and Son Heung-min (LAFC) being subjected to intense marking by the opponent, Eom Ji-sung noted, "Both are excellent players, so their strengths are known by all countries. The opponent likely targeted that point, which is why they came out rougher than expected."
On the post-match atmosphere, he said, "After the game, we did not communicate much about the match content. It is already over, and talking about it won't change the result. We felt that although we created many situations as planned, bad luck prevented us from getting the result. We will begin preparations for the next match in earnest today."
As a driving force for the national team to showcase the football they prepared on the World Cup stage, Eom Ji-sung cited the squad's intelligence and systematic substitution system. He explained, "The quality of all players is extremely high, and they intelligently know exactly what role they need to play on the field. Even substitute players, whether they play or not, are united in recognizing their roles and quietly preparing well through image training. That is why good situations keep happening, like with Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas) in the first match."
As he is going through an important period, Eom Ji-sung said he feels both gratitude and responsibility toward the encouraging messages from those around him. He stated, "I received congratulations and encouragement from many places, including my former club Gwangju FC. Since this is such an important time, people did not contact me for long out of consideration for me. I am truly grateful to everyone. To repay that gratitude, preparing well for the next match is the duty I must fulfill now."
Finally, he reaffirmed his will to win in the crucial match against South Africa in the group stage. Eom Ji-sung said, "The players have reflected deeply on the parts where we failed to get a result in the Mexico match. We have gained great motivation on how to play the next match. We will use that motivation as raw material to maximize our strengths."
He further emphasized the importance of results as the key direction for the South Africa match. Eom Ji-sung stated, "For the South Africa match, it is more important to focus solely on the match result rather than performance. The players' confidence has not dropped. If we stay firmly united and play as we have been doing, there will surely be a good match result." He expressed his firm resolve.
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*This content was translated by AI.
