Learning from the Past: A 'Masterstroke' Strategy Pays Off Against Czech Republic

[Anchor]

Ahead of this tournament, our national team spent over three weeks at high altitude, thoroughly acclimating to the environment in Mexico. This decision proved to be a "masterstroke." By overwhelming their opponents—who struggled with fatigue in the high-altitude conditions—with superior stamina, the team pulled off a thrilling comeback victory.

Here is the report from Hong Seok-jun.

[Reporter]

The primary reason for the early elimination of the Hong Myung-bo-led team at the 2014 Brazil tournament, where they finished with one draw and two losses, was a failure in conditioning.

Due to a delayed vaccination schedule for yellow fever, many players were unable to reach peak physical condition even after the tournament began, leading to poor performance.

Learning from the failure 12 years ago, Manager Hong prepared meticulously.

Ahead of this tournament, which is being held at high altitude, he consulted with experts and established a pre-tournament camp in Salt Lake City, USA, and a base camp in Guadalajara, where the first and second matches are taking place.

After spending over three weeks at high altitude since May 19 to complete their adaptation, Manager Hong expressed confidence.

[Hong Myung-bo / National Football Team Manager (Yesterday): I believe our team has been diligent in every aspect while preparing for this tournament.]

The results of this training shone through from the very first match.

The Czech players, who arrived at the high-altitude venue just a day before the match, grew increasingly sluggish. Meanwhile, our team, still full of energy, continuously exploited the space behind the Czech defense, scoring two goals after the midway point of the second half to secure a thrilling comeback.

[Hong Myung-bo / National Football Team Manager (Today): Our players thoroughly executed everything we had prepared.]

In today's match, the national team dominated with 56% possession compared to 34% for the Czech Republic, and created a foundation for victory by forcing 10 more turnovers through aggressive pressing.

[Oh Hyeon-gyu / National Football Team Forward: We have been preparing since our time in Salt Lake City, overcoming really tough training sessions. That effort became our strength, which allowed us to win.]

Having secured a victory through stamina built on thorough preparation, the national team will now spend the next week preparing for another win.

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