'Why on earth' is there no place for Bundesliga starter Castro in Hong Myung-bo's squad... Completely ignored Castro [World Cup On-Site Issues]

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, failed to overcome the wall of host nation Mexico and postponed the opportunity to secure early qualification for the Round of 32.

On the 19th at 10 a.m. (Korea time), South Korea suffered a heartbreaking 0-1 defeat to Mexico in the second match of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup Group A stage, held at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico.

In the earlier match, South Africa and Czech Republic drew 1-1, meaning South Korea could have secured early group top spot had they defeated Mexico, but they could not overcome a futile goal conceded early in the second half, resulting in a disappointing outcome.

A point that raises as much doubt as the result is that Jens Castro (Mönchengladbach), the first naturalized German-born player to represent South Korea and a multi-player who drew high expectations, has struggled to get playing time in this tournament.

Castro sat on the bench for both the first match against Czech Republic and the second match against Mexico since the World Cup finals began, never stepping onto the field for even a single minute and being completely ignored. He appeared to adapt to the national team by playing 61 minutes in the final pre-World Cup friendly against Trinidad and Tobago (0-5 loss) and 28 minutes in the match against El Salvador (1-0 win), but in the finals, he seems to have been completely excluded from coach Hong Myung-bo's calculations.

Especially, even as coach Hong Myung-bo made shocking consecutive moves in the defensive line, Castro's name was not included. For the Mexico match, Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon Hana Citizen), who had been on the bench in the first match, was suddenly deployed as the right defender. In this process, Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda), who had been responsible for the right side in the first match, moved to the left, and Lee Tae-seok (Austria Vienna), the original left starter, was sent to the bench. Considering Castro's multi-player ability to play anywhere from full-back to defensive midfielder, both on the flanks and in the center, this thorough exclusion raises serious questions.

Considering Castro's condition observed on-site, the doubts deepen further. Throughout the group stage, Castro was consistently observed training at the Chivas Verde Valle training ground, and there were no signs of any abnormality in his physical condition. He underwent all recovery and tactical training normally without injury or fitness issues, maintaining light movements. Moreover, he was seen chatting and joking freely with Korean teammates both inside and outside the training ground, naturally blending into the team and getting along well with everyone.

Castro's situation is even more regrettable when compared to his overwhelming status within his club team. Castro played 26 matches in the German Bundesliga this season, recording 3 goals and 1 assist, and has been a key starter for his team.

Before the 2025-2026 season, Castro, who transferred to Mönchengladbach, made a strong impression in every match, including scoring his Bundesliga debut goal with a sensational header as a left attacking midfielder in a 3-4-2-1 formation against Frankfurt in the fifth round of the Bundesliga.

Not only that, but he also shook the net with a powerful right-footed mid-range shot that completely broke down the opponent's space in the 23rd minute of the first half against powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen, though the goal was controversially disallowed after video assistant referee (VAR) review ruled it offside, proving his undeniable presence on the Bundesliga stage in every match.

Despite having played for various Yeon Ryeong-byeol (CEO) teams, he ultimately chose to represent South Korea, surprising even the Bundesliga office. This European special prospect, who has already proven himself by playing as a defensive midfielder against Mexico during the Ji Nan (CEO) team's call-up, recording the most successful challenges (3) among Korean players, and demonstrating high passing accuracy (89%) and solid ground and aerial challenge ability in a short time against the United States, is now being completely sidelined on the most important World Cup finals stage.

Hong Myung-bo's team now has only the final match against South Africa left, a loss in which could lead to elimination from the group stage. It remains to be seen whether the multi-player Castro card, who has shone on the Bundesliga stage, will finally see the light within coach Hong Myung-bo's closed calculations, with attention turning to the bench for the third match.

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*This content was translated by AI.