The South Korean national soccer team also had soccer masters like Andrea Pirlo, Xavi.

The South Korean national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo (56), faced Oman in the 7th match of Group B in the 3rd round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Goyang Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 20th. Despite Hee-chan Hwang finishing a brilliant touch after a sharp pass from Kang-in Lee for the opening goal, they ended up with a disappointing 1-1 draw.

With this, South Korea recorded 15 points (5 wins, 3 draws), maintaining a somewhat precarious first place in Group B. In the 3rd round of qualifiers, the 1st and 2nd placed teams from each group will secure direct tickets to the World Cup. Had they won all their matches in this March A matches, they could have confirmed their World Cup qualification early, but their frustrating performance throughout the match thwarted this.

This result leaves a sense of regret. If South Korea had secured 3 points in this match against Oman and also won against Jordan on the 25th, they could have confirmed their qualification for the World Cup early, regardless of the matches against Iraq and Kuwait in June. However, due to the outcome of this match, they are now left waiting until the June A matches.

South Korea started in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Jumin-kyu was positioned at the forefront, while Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, and Hee-chan Hwang were in the second line of attack. Baek Seung-ho and Park Yong-woo protected the backline, while Lee Tae-seok, Kwon Kyung-won, Cho Yoo-min, and Seol Young-woo formed the defensive line. Jo Hyun-woo guarded the goal.

Oman also adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation. Issam Al Sabhi aimed to score, with Abdul Al Masri, Ali Al Busaidi, and Yamil Al Yahmadi in the second line of attack. Abdallah Fawaz and Said Al Alawi controlled the midfield, while Al Roushaidi, Khalid Al Braiki, Ahmed Al Kamish, and Abdallah Al Harthi formed the backline. The goalkeeper gloves were worn by Ibrahim Al Mukaini.

The first half was rather frustrating. They struggled to find solutions against the opponent's compact defense, failing to connect shots despite high ball possession. Moreover, in the 35th minute of the first half, Baek Seung-ho collapsed due to an injury during a challenge. Despite treatment, Baek Seung-ho could not return, prompting South Korea to substitute in Kang-in Lee in the 38th minute.

Kang-in Lee's substitution proved effective. In the 41st minute of the first half, Kang-in passed a ball directly to a penetrating Hee-chan Hwang, and upon receiving the ball in the box, Hee-chan immediately shot to make it 1-0. South Korea, which had been struggling to create shots, finally found relief with Hee-chan's goal. The first half ended with a score of 1-0.

Immediately as the second half began, South Korea used a substitution card. They brought in Oh Se-hoon for a rather quiet Jumin-kyu during the first half, aiming for another goal. Although South Korea took the lead with Hee-chan's goal, they sought changes for additional scoring. However, in the 35th minute of the second half, they allowed Ali Al Busaidi's shot to equalize, failing to add points for a 1-1 finish.

On that day, Hwang In-beom was completely excluded from the lineup. He had been unable to play due to injury with his club Feyenoord and was listed among the 28 players announced on the 10th. However, the Dutch 'FR12' reported on the 18th that 'Dennis Kranenburg stated that it is 'absurd' for Hwang In-beom to be called up to the South Korean national team.'

It is argued that coach Hong Myung-bo selecting Hwang In-beom in the context of protecting players while replacing the injured Kim Min-jae does not make sense. The current national team midfielders include Park Yong-woo (Al Ain), Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City), Won Dujae (Korpakan Club), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Hee-chan Hwang (Wolverhampton), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Yang Min-hyuk (Queens Park Rangers), Eom Ji-seong (Swansea City), Yang Hyeon-jun (Celtic), Kang-in Lee (Paris Saint-Germain), and Lee Dong-gyeong (Gimcheon Citizen).

Kranenburg pointed out that 'the call-up to the national team could negatively affect his physical condition. A player who has hardly played in the last three months has just returned, yet he has to undertake a long-distance flight. This will put considerable strain on Hwang In-beom's recovery and conditioning.' Regardless of these criticisms from the Netherlands, Hwang In-beom joined the team late in the evening on the 18th.

Coach Hong Myung-bo said on the 19th about Hwang In-beom, 'The club, player, and national team are communicating smoothly. There was a slight injury in the match last weekend. We will have to monitor him until today's training,' dispelling concerns from those around him. However, the recovery did not appear to be progressing quickly. Not only was Hwang In-beom absent from the starting eleven, but his name was also not found on the bench. Instead, Baek Seung-ho partnered with Park Yong-woo in controlling the midfield.

Kang-in Lee started on the bench that day for a reason. Unlike the other South Korean players, he could only join the national team on the evening of the 18th due to arriving a day late. He participated in a match against Marseilles at Parc des Princes in Paris for the 2024-2025 Ligue 1 home game on the 17th. He came on in the 35th minute of the second half and played for about 10 minutes.

This season, Kang-in has seen his position somewhat diminished at PSG. Recently, he has found himself overshadowed by other players like Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Désiré Doué, resulting in reduced playing time. French media outlet Foot01 reported that 'PSG has decided to part ways with Kang-in this summer,' suggesting 'the next few weeks Kang-in spends in Paris may be his last.' It also noted, 'Kang-in has yielded his spot to wingers like Désiré Doué and midfielders like Senny Mayulu and João Neves,' indicating that Kang-in fell behind in competition with similar-position players. Facing off against a luxurious team like PSG was an inevitable competition.

Ahead of this A match, the fluctuation in his playing time combined with fatigue led to him not being at his best. Coach Hong Myung-bo temporarily excluded Kang-in from the starting lineup. However, when Baek Seung-ho collapsed in the 32nd minute of the first half, Kang-in was quickly brought in. As soon as he stepped onto the field, Kang-in showcased 'another class.'

Kang-in, who entered the game in the 37th minute of the first half, soon created a crack in Oman's packed defense. In the 41st minute, he assisted Hee-chan's opening goal with a sharp pass. Anticipating Hee-chan's run toward the opponent's goal near the halfway line, his pinpoint pass was phenomenal. Despite being away for a while, Kang-in's performance was exceptional.

Including the long pass that led to the match-winning goal, Kang-in demonstrated superior vision and precise passing by distributing the ball seamlessly from the back line to the front line multiple times. He truly displayed the caliber of a 'football master' like Xavi Alonso of the Spanish national team and Andrea Pirlo of the Italian national team.

Thanks to Kang-in, who demonstrated a mastery of the midfield, South Korea no longer had to worry about Hwang In-beom's absence. Particularly because of his exceptional passing, he provided a suitable option against various teams' compact defenses playing against South Korea. It seemed Kang-in's versatility would be a great aid to coach Hong Myung-bo's team.

However, in the process of conceding the equalizer to Oman in the 35th minute of the second half, Kang-in collapsed and left the field for a substitution. Although the exact severity of the injury has not been revealed, if it is more serious than expected, it could have a substantial impact.

[OSEN]