Interim director Hwang Seon-hong of ‘The End with Firefighters’,
I've never even thought about that. The Olympic team is entering the country tomorrow. It's a tight situation in terms of time. I'm planning to focus on that. I'm not thinking about anything more or less than that. ." Interim coach Hwang Seon-hong dismissed the possibility of taking over as official coach.
11 K-League players, including interim manager Hwang Seon-hong, and Kim Moon-hwan entered the country via Flight KE660 at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 around 5:30 pm on the 27th.
The Korean national team went through a period of confusion ahead of the international match in March. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann was dismissed, and Olympic team coach Hwang Sun-hong was appointed as interim coach. It was not a formal director, but a concurrent role. In addition, there was internal strife within the national team that occurred during the Asian Cup, so the team was faced with the task of controlling the atmosphere and producing results.
In the two-game series against Thailand, they achieved 1 win and 1 draw. First, in the game held at home, Son Heung-min took the lead, but conceded a goal in the second half, resulting in a draw. There was deep disappointment not only in the results but also in the performance.
However, when we went away, the results were 180 degrees different. Lee Jae-sung scored the first goal in the first half, and Son Heung-min added an additional goal in the second half. Finally, just before the end, Park Jin-seop scored a key goal, securing a 3-0 victory. It was significant in that it was the first clean sheet victory in eight games since the friendly match against Iraq in early January.
As a result of this two-game series, Korea maintained its lead in Group C of the 2026 FIFA Canada-Mexico-United States (North and Central America) World Cup Asian region second qualifying round with 3 wins and 1 draw (9 points). They were followed by China (7 points), Thailand (4 points), and Singapore (1 point). In fact, it is safe to say that they have advanced to the third preliminary round.
Interim coach Hwang Seon-hong completed his duties to some extent. In his thoughts, he said, "Although it was a short time, I know that our players worked hard to become a team because they wanted to make up for the fans who disappointed them. I know that our fans will evaluate us. A good coach will come and make the team better. “I think it will get better and healthier if you take charge of it. I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
Another benefit is that Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min held a happy ceremony after scoring a joint goal, clearing away the previous conflict. Coach Hwang Seon-hong said, "I think that's what I want and what our fans also want. I was very proud, and I hope that kind of image will continue to appear on the field in the future. I think the only thing left to do is to improve and show a good performance." “The responsibility lies entirely with the new coach and our players. I hope we can become a team that can continue to give hope,” he said with satisfaction.
In addition, "I don't know if it's right or wrong. I put my thoughts into practice. I definitely think there should be many such opportunities. The players are responsible. Although it was a short time, it was an important time for me. It was also a valuable time for the players. “I think it was this. Based on that, I hope to show a better side in the future,” he added.
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