"I hope I can be happier than Qatar." "Temporary Captain" Hwang In-beom's dream of the 2nd World Cup
"I hope I can be happier than Qatar." "Temporary Captain" Hwang In-beom's dream of the 2nd World Cup
Blog Article
"No one knows who will participate in the World Cup eventually. I hope everyone will prepare well, thinking about the national team. Qatar was a very happy memory for me. I hope that the event will leave more memories than then." Hwang was hoping that the second World Cup would be a happier memory.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, defeated Kuwait 4-0 in the 10th Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 10th. With this, South Korea recorded six wins and four draws, recording an unbeaten streak in the third World Cup qualifying round and finishing first in the group.
South Korea went ahead with an own goal induced by Hwang In-beom in the 30th minute of the first half. Later, Lee Kang-in and Oh Hyun-kyu scored additional goals in a row as Bae Joon-ho made two assists in the 6th minute of the second half and the 9th minute of the second half. South Korea scored Lee Jae-sung's fourth goal in the 24th minute of the second half, and Hong Myung-bo later put Son Heung-min, Yang Hyun-joon, and Hwang Hee-chan to experiment with a relaxed change of tactics to finish the final match with a 4-0 victory.
Hwang In-beom also served as the captain on this day. In the match against Iraq, where Son Heung-min was absent due to poor condition, Lee Jae-sung, who wore the captain's armband, took over the armband for 16 minutes after being replaced, and Son Heung-min was in charge of the captain until he was substituted in the second half. He played an indispensable role in the national team, such as serving as a set-piece kicker or supplying a sharp pass to the front and boasting his unique diligent activity.
After the game, Hwang In-beom, who met in the mixed zone, was proud of being the captain of the national team. Hwang In-beom said, "I was so honored," saying that the captain's armband was "heavy." I don't know how much it will end with this one game, but I wonder how many Korean soccer players have kicked the armband on their left arm. I feel that much responsibility, and even if I don't wear the captain's armband in the future, I think if I do my best, that's what I'm good at and will be my role."
Hwang In-beom's second World Cup is coming up. Hwang In-beom agreed with the words left by seniors Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung in this convocation, "It is not natural to advance to the World Cup." Hwang In-beom said, "No one knows who will be in the World Cup eventually. I hope everyone will think of the national team and prepare well. Qatar was a very happy memory for me. I hope it will be a competition where I will be able to leave even more memories."
-captain's armband
It was an honor for me. I think I can express it as an honor for my family. (Son) Heung-min congratulated me after the game. I feel like I got such a good reward by doing it silently
-Differences between Hong Myung-bo and previous directors
It was my first World Cup qualifying match when I was coach Paulo Bento. This is my second qualifying match, and I don't think there is much difference. He analyzed the opponent well in every game, and his weaknesses, strengths, and how he would do things like training intensity with a match plan. It was a recent qualifying match that was full of talk and troubles, but fortunately, advancing to the World Cup as No. 1 in the group was a big achievement.
In fact, not many countries have made it to the World Cup 11 times in a row. In a way, it's not natural, but the seniors in front of us did so well that it became natural for Korea to go to the World Cup. We have to play well in the next World Cup so that we don't become anyone and also play well in the next World Cup qualifying round. I don't know if I can do it until then, but I want to let the fans know that it may be natural for South Korea to go to the World Cup because we continue to do well.
-We have a lot of juniors. What did they want us to prepare for the past year
Except for (Lee) Chang-geun, I was the oldest in the starting lineup today. I ran so hard that I didn't know when all these years had passed. There are so many talented players, but there were all aspects that were good and lacking in the 2nd and 3rd qualifiers. Everyone would expect that it will be a more different game from the qualifiers if they participate in the World Cup.
However, the team showed off how competitive we are, rather than playing defense and counterattacking like it used to be in the past at the Qatar World Cup. We want to unite until September, October, November, March and June before the convocation so that we can show such performances well at the 2026 World Cup. No one knows who will participate in the World Cup. I hope everyone will think of the national team and prepare well. Qatar was a very happy memory for me. I hope that the event will be more memorable than then.
-I think the captain's armband was heavy
It was heavy. As I said before, it was such an honor. I don't know how many Korean soccer players have been wearing armbands on their left arms. Even if I feel that responsibility and don't wear the captain's armband in the future, I think that I'm good at it and it'll be my role if I do my best.
-Next season's future 스포츠토토
I think my current team is a big club. I received so much love. In the second half of the year, I was very sad due to injuries. I think it was a season where I missed a lot of games in a long time. I felt sorry for my team's fans for those parts. I don't know what will happen to people, but if I continue to play as a member of the team Feyenoord next season, I think I will be able to give back the love I received throughout the season. To do that, I think the first thing to do during this break is to take a good rest.