[Cheonan Field] Overcoming World Cup Pain, They Gather Again... 'Moreno's First Batch' Called Up for the First Time: Kim Min-jae in 'All Black,' Park Tae-jun in Military Uniform

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korean football has set off again.

The South Korean men's national football team, led by interim coach Roberto Moreno (Spain), assembled at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do on the 21st.

Players wearing the Taegeuk mark gathered together for the first time in about three months after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. At the same time, this marks the first time players of the Lee Hu (CEO) team have breathed together under Coach Moreno's tenure.

National team players began arriving at Korea Football Park by 2 p.m. that day. On the first day, 19 players joined, including 'key defender' Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien), Seol Young-woo (FC Augsburg), and 'veteran goalkeeper' Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan HD).

Kim Min-jae appeared in an 'all-black' outfit, dressed entirely in black from head to toe. He wore a comfortable ensemble of a black cap, hoodie, and shorts.

Jung Seung-won (FC Seoul) stood before reporters with a bright expression. Like his signature pose, he made a 'V' sign with his fingers and flashed a warm smile.

Goalkeepers Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) and Song Beom-geun (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) entered side by side while chatting. Park Tae-jun, who belongs to Kim Cheon (SVP), joined the national team in military uniform, drawing attention.

The remaining players will join sequentially. National team 'ace' Lee Kang-in (Atlético Madrid) is scheduled to arrive at the accommodation this evening. Foreign-based players including 'captain' Son Heung-min (LAFC), Hwang In-beom (FC Porto), and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) will also join the Cha Rye-ro (CEO) team starting from the 22nd.

Coach Moreno was appointed as the interim head coach of the South Korean national team on the 1st. Subsequently, he held an inaugural press conference at Korea Football Park in Cheonan on the 14th and announced his first list of 30 players for the national team.

Most of the existing core players retained their positions. Foreign-based players representing South Korean football, including Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom, and Lee Jae-sung, donned the Taegeuk mark again.

There were also significant changes. Promising young talents such as Kim Min-su (Rangers), along with Park Tae-jun and Kim Geon-hee (Incheon United), were selected for their first-ever call-up to the A national team.

Players like Jung Seung-won and Song Min-gyu, who received summons from the Oh Raen-man-e (CEO) team, will re-enter fierce competition through this call-up.

Coach Moreno emphasized that when forming the initial list, he prioritized current performance over reputation.

Indeed, this roster reflects considerable changes compared to the final 2026 North American World Cup squad. It demonstrates the intention to directly assess the competitiveness of new players while also encouraging competition among existing core members.

The recent form of the clubs where the players joining the national team are currently playing is also favorable.

Lee Kang-in started in the 'Madrid Derby' against Real Madrid just before the call-up, played 89 minutes, and contributed to Atlético Madrid's 2-1 victory.

Hwang In-beom also gained momentum by scoring his first goal since joining FC Porto in Portugal's biggest rivalry match against Benfica.

Kim Min-jae has recently expanded his position as a starting center-back for Bayern Munich and continues to deliver strong performances. Positive evaluations have been following from the German local scene as well.

Conditions are now in place to start the first call-up under the new coaching regime on a positive note.

South Korea will play its first A-match under Coach Moreno's leadership against Ecuador at 8 p.m. on the 24th at Suwon World Cup Stadium. Then, they will face Uruguay at 8 p.m. on the 28th at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

The schedule continues into October. On the 2nd, they will play against Venezuela at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, and on the 6th, they will take on Uzbekistan at Yongin Mir Stadium in sequence.

This is a four-match A-team series spanning about three weeks.

Beyond results, an important viewing point is what kind of football identity Coach Moreno will instill in the South Korean national team.

If the overall evaluation including performance and results from this four-match series turns out positive, there is a possibility that Coach Moreno will continue leading the national team until the AFC Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia next January.

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*This content was translated by AI.