Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in no longer face pain... "Absolutely no external leaks," new coach Moreno vows [Suwon field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Taeguk Warriors, including Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Lee Kang-in (Atlético Madrid), can now focus entirely on the pitch without worrying about being shaken by off-field injuries or controversies. The firm principles and meticulous player protection of new coach Roberto Moreno (Spain), who vowed not to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor who unnecessarily exposed internal team dialogues and conflicts to the public, leaving players with avoidable pain, were evident from the very first match.

The South Korean national football team secured a decisive 3-0 victory over Ecuador in a friendly match held at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 24th.

Beyond the result of a debut victory, what drew particular attention was Coach Moreno's thorough internal protectionism and meticulous consideration shown during the post-match official press conference.

When reporters asked Coach Moreno about any conversation he had with captain Son Heung-min, who was substituted off during the match, near the bench area, Moreno replied, "As I have stated before, we will maintain our principles. Conversations with players are confidential. This is one of the most important aspects in how we manage the team." Emphasizing that football is a team sport, he spoke extremely sparingly even about evaluating individual players.

Deep consideration for players was also evident in the process of explaining why key players, including ace Lee Kang-in, were excluded from the lineup. Coach Moreno stated, "It was a preventive measure based on medical staff recommendations. They felt slight discomfort and muscle overload, and the medical team requested they refrain from playing excessively." He clearly drew the line by adding, "Player health is paramount, so we took no risks whatsoever."

With the coaching staff prioritizing player protection as their top value, players' trust and response on the field have followed swiftly. Despite an extremely short preparation period after taking charge, both veteran players and rookies in the national team have placed deep trust in the new coach's direction.

Captain Son Heung-min said in the mixed zone, "In the first half, it took time to adapt as we were executing the new coach's instructions on the field for the first time," but added, "In the second half, our desired style of play came naturally, and goals scored at appropriate moments made things easier." He expressed strong confidence.

Veteran Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), who was responsible for midfield, also praised the coach's clear details and meticulous management. Lee said, "The coach has a definite philosophy and communicates it well to players," adding, "There are many analysts in the coach's staff who conducted individual meetings based on So Sok-tim-gwa (CEO) team performance videos. They pointed out scenes we must continue to build on and areas for improvement one-on-one, which greatly helps players develop from their perspective."

He particularly noted, "It was the first time I experienced such a thorough approach of preparing and distributing detailed schedules for individual video meetings and position-specific group meetings."

Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas), who scored the winning goal, also said, "The coach trusted me and set the stage so I could freely showcase my strengths." Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) similarly welcomed the clear guidelines, stating, "He told us to push forward when space opens up and strongly instructed us to prioritize advancing passes as the first build-up option."

Coach Moreno's firm leadership was confirmed from the very first match: instead of using players as shields or leaking internal matters to the outside, he chose to wrap the team in thorough data and meticulous care internally while building healthy trust externally. This is why there is growing anticipation for the remaining matches of Moreno's squad after taking their first steps.

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*This content was translated by AI.