Crucial Match Against Czech Republic on the 12th; Son Heung-min: "I Want to Bloom on the Stage of My Dreams"

[Anchor]

The global festival, the North and Central American World Cup, kicks off tomorrow, June 12. South Korea will face the Czech Republic, a team known for their physicality and strength, in the first group match. Captain Son Heung-min stated that as all the players have prepared with great passion, he hopes to "see them bloom" on this "stage of dreams."

Reporting from Mexico, here is Lee Jung-chan.

[Reporter]

The expressions of the "Taeguk Warriors" were solemn as they headed into their final training session ahead of the match against the Czech Republic.

Head coach Hong Myung-bo gave his final instructions to the players for over four minutes just before training, and the players, having steeled their resolve, prepared for the "fateful first match" with expressions full of confidence.

[Hong Myung-bo / Head Coach of the National Football Team: I don't think our team has been negligent in preparing for this tournament. I believe we have created an atmosphere where we can play in an exciting, fun, and very lively manner.]

With Coach Hong revealing that his plans for the starting 11 against the Czech Republic are already finalized, captain Son Heung-min, who is set to make his fourth World Cup appearance, expressed his anticipation, saying he wants to show the results of the hard work put in during the more than three-week training camp.

[Son Heung-min / Captain of the National Football Team: I still consider this the 'stage of my dreams.' Since the players have prepared so passionately, I want to say that I truly hope we can 'see the flowers bloom' from all that preparation.]

He specifically highlighted the team's high morale, which has been boosted by systematically adapting to the environment in Guadalajara, including the high altitude, since their time in Salt Lake City, USA.

[Son Heung-min / Captain of the National Football Team: The atmosphere among the players is excellent. I can see it in their eyes and their mindset, and I believe we will certainly be able to show a great performance.]

At the same time, he expressed caution regarding the Czech Republic, a "tall squad" filled with "big leaguers," and vowed to pour everything into the match.

[Son Heung-min / Captain of the National Football Team: I believe we need to perform at more than 100% of our capacity to win. These are such important matches that we are essentially putting our lives on the line.]

All preparations have been completed as planned.

Now is the time to fully blossom and prove it with results.

(Video coverage: Hwang In-seok, Video editing: Ha Seong-won)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.