It's a blessing in disguise. The condition of the grass in Suwon is better than in Goyang.

The national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo (56), will face Jordan in the 8th match of Group B in the 3rd round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) North and Central American World Cup, scheduled for 8 p.m. on the 25th at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

Korea drew 1-1 against Oman on the 20th, unable to hold onto Hwang Hee-chan's opening goal. Korea is maintaining a somewhat shaky first place in Group B with 15 points (5 wins, 3 draws), just 3 points ahead of Jordan in second place.

The players cannot blame external factors for their poor performance. However, everyone agrees that the grass condition in Goyang was terrible. The turf at Goyang Stadium was not at a level for national players to compete. When Son Heung-min shot, his stepping foot would tear the grass, creating holes. The grass was shallow, and it had not taken root properly on the ground. The grass fibers were torn even from minor impacts.

Once the grass was torn, it created holes throughout the field. If players' feet get caught in these small puddles, they could fall and suffer serious injuries. Coincidentally, both Baek Seung-ho and Lee Kang-in were injured in scenes where their feet got caught during sudden turning movements. This was not unrelated to the grass condition.

The players also voiced their frustrations. Seol Young-woo noted, "(The grass) was challenging. I’m a player who hasn’t been away from the K League for long and I haven’t played in Europe for that long. Coming from Europe, I found the grass very difficult and I was afraid of getting injured. When receiving the ball on the ground, there were many irregular bounces, making it hard to predict."

Lee Jae-sung stated, "It’s unfortunate to be discussing the conditions a day before the match. It may sound like an excuse, but it affects our performance. It is true that the players are under stress. Having played in the K League, it’s disappointing that the situation should have improved, but it has worsened."

Lee Jae-sung, who achieved his dream of moving to the Bundesliga after passing through the K League, remarked, "Players from Europe may hesitate to return to the K League due to the grass issues. Many are working on the environmental problems, but I hope it gets better. Only then can players provide better matches to delight the fans."

Fortunately, the grass condition at Suwon World Cup Stadium, which was inspected directly a day before the match, was much better than in Goyang. Suwon Samsung has undertaken a major remodeling of their home stadium over the past six months. Since Suwon has played two games, the condition was not bad.

An official from the Korea Football Association stated, "Compared to Goyang, the grass is definitely in good condition. However, the surface is quite hard, so the players need a bit of adjustment."

Many players on the national team are from Europe, making it necessary for them to adapt to Suwon World Cup Stadium. Oh Hyun-kyu, who played in Suwon until 2023, is included. After Suwon was relegated to K League 2 last season, the national team players had not had the opportunity to play at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

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