Fate-Defining Opener Against Czech Republic Today: "Hoping to Bloom on the Stage of Dreams"

[Anchor]

The North and Central America World Cup kicked off in earnest early this morning (June 12). Today, South Korea will play its first match against the Czech Republic starting at 11:00 a.m.

Lee Jeong-Chan reports from Mexico.

[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 spent over four minutes giving final instructions to the players right before training, and the players, with their minds firmly set, prepared for the "fate-defining opener" with confident expressions.

[Hong Myung-bo / Head Coach of the National Football Team: I don't think our team has been negligent at all while preparing for this tournament. I believe we have created an atmosphere where we can play with excitement, joy, and energy.]

With coach Hong stating 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 training camp that lasted over three weeks.

[Son Heung-min / Captain of the National Football Team: I still think of it as a "stage of dreams." Since the players have prepared so passionately and well, I really want to tell them that I hope what we have prepared will "bloom into a flower."]

At the same time, he did not hide his caution, noting that the "tall" Czech squad is filled with high-level "big leaguers" such as Schick and Soucek.

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

Unlike us, who have spent over three weeks adapting to the environment in Guadalajara, including the high altitude, the Czech Republic arrived at the site of the battle just one day before the match and vowed to unite as one to overcome us.

[Koubek / Head Coach of the Czech National Football Team: Conditions were not ideal, but we have prepared a lot for the high altitude. I am not thinking negatively that we are at a disadvantage.]

All preparations have been completed as planned.

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

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