Jürgen Klinsmann will look to the Asian Cup in June’s A matches.
Klinsmann’s men will face Peru and El Salvador in exhibition matches in Busan and Daejeon. The team convened in Busan on the 12th and gathered at Gudeok Stadium to begin training for the Peru match.
Coach Klinsmann spoke to the media before training. “I want them to prove to themselves on the field how much they want to go to Qatar together. I want them to show how much they want to go to Qatar and how much they want to win,” he said, hinting at next year’s Asian Cup draw.
Here’s what Klinsmann had to say
You played for the German national team. How did it feel to play in Busan?
“I’m very happy to be back in Busan. When I came to Korea, I heard that Busan is a beautiful city. I know there is a lot of support for the 2023 Expo. I competed in Busan at the ’88 Olympics. It’s great to be able to come back. I had a good performance in Busan, so it’s very emotional.”
The U-20 World Cup is over. How will it affect the A team?
“Before we came out of the locker room, I said to the players, ‘The national team is always changing. You never know what changes are coming. We had some unexpected injuries as we were preparing for the call-up. Changes will continue to happen. We have to see the development of the U-20 players. We will keep a close eye on their performances. The U-24s will also play a friendly in China. We will continue to monitor their progress and select the national team. It will be interesting to see how things change between the Asian Cup and the North and Central American World Cup.”
On which players impressed him at the U-20s
“I need to meet with the coaching staff and get to know them better. The most important thing is for the players to play and maintain 스포츠토토 their performance when they come back. It doesn’t matter if it’s K League 1 or K League 2, it’s important to play consistently for the team. If you look at the last U-20 tournament, Lee Kang-in was the only player who made it to the national team. In the current U-20 World Cup, you need playing time to make the A team. Players develop better when they play than when they sit on the bench.”
Hwang Eui-jo and Cho Kyu-sung scored the goals. How he saw it
“When I go to watch a game, I want the strikers to score goals for the national team. Even in March, he said he was quite positive. I also watched Oh Hyun-gyu’s game. They are players who can score enough goals. I want to give them enough playing time in the upcoming two games. I expect them to score goals.”
You have to pick your best 11. What did he look for?
“I want the players to prove on the pitch how much they want to go to Qatar with us. The June A-match period is difficult for international players. It’s a vacation period. It’s a concern, but the K League players will have an easier time with their game sense and fitness. But the key is for the players to show their passion and commitment, how much they want to go to Qatar and win.”