'Korea's Top Center-Back' Kim Min-jae Jokes, "I Don't Know Why Players Praise Me So Highly" [World Cup On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), the defensive cornerstone of coach Hong Myung-bo's squad, vowed to secure a scoreless victory ahead of the final group stage match against South Africa, relying on the strong confidence of the defensive line.

Kim Min-jae, the vice-captain and star defender of the South Korean national team, stated emphatically at the official press conference held at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, at 2:30 p.m. local time on the 23rd regarding the match against South Africa: "South Africa has players with strong individual skills and speed. We are preparing well for that aspect." He added, "If the team performs as well as it did in the previous two matches, we should be able to win comfortably."

South Korea and South Africa will face off in the final group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, Group A, at Estadio BBVA at 10 a.m. Korean time on the 25th. Currently sitting in second place in the group with one win and one loss (three points), South Korea can advance to the Round of 32 on its own with a draw, but must be cautious of finishing fourth and being eliminated or scraping through in third place if they lose.

Given that this is a single-match showdown where a single goal could be decisive, the defensive line's concentration has become the top issue. Kim Min-jae, who analyzed South Africa's sharp attacking lineup, explained the tactical preparations: "The opponent has players with good individual skills and fast speed, so I specifically urged the defenders to prepare thoroughly."

Kim Min-jae, who has been playing as the central figure in a three-back formation in this tournament, downplayed the high praise from his teammates. When his center-back partner Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland) praised him as a rock-solid leader of the defense, Kim Min-jae smiled and said, "I don't give that much feedback to the players to be called a leader."

Kim Min-jae continued, "Currently, the players individually have a lot of confidence. I don't know why my teammates praise me so highly." He emphasized, "Rather than leading the players from the front, I feel I am more like pushing them from behind. In the current situation, I believe it is most important for the entire defensive line to function as one unit during the match."

Lee Beon (CEO)Among the central figures of the three-back system, Kim Min-jae is the only player who has stepped onto the World Cup finals stage. Looking at rookies Lee Gi-hyuk (Gangwon FC) and Lee Han-beom, who are playing their World Cup debut matches while adjusting to new chemistry, Kim Min-jae revealed, "If we look only at the central defensive line, before coming to the World Cup, the players seemed somewhat lacking in confidence and were struggling quite a bit."

However, Kim Min-jae's assessment is that everything changed perfectly once the finals stage began. He praised, "As soon as the tournament started, the younger players have shown excellent form. Both players have fully capable abilities."

He also expressed satisfaction with the organic role division and synergy within the defensive line. Kim Min-jae stated, "Tactically, I am taking the role of the sweeper at the very back, while the players in front of me are advancing to play an aggressive defense." He added, "During this process, my teammates told me they received a lot of help from me. I am also performing my role faithfully, and the two players in front are doing very well. Thanks to that, the entire defensive line's confidence has risen, and we seem to be playing good matches."

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*This content was translated by AI.