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By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Oct. 13 (Yonhap) — As injuries continue to pile up, South Korea will chase their third straight victory in their World Cup qualification campaign when they host Iraq this week.
South Korea and Iraq will clash at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, just south of Seoul, at 8 p.m. Tuesday for their fourth Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification.
South Korean players take part in a training session ahead of a World Cup qualifying match against Iraq at Seongnam Football Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 12, 2024, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The two countries are tied at seven points apiece, but South Korea lead the group thanks to their advantage in goal difference, +4 to +2.
South Korea shut down Jordan 2-0 last Thursday in Amman, despite missing captain and talisman Son Heung-min, who is out with a hamstring injury. During that match, though, South Korea lost two more players to injuries, with Hwang Hee-chan suffering an ankle injury and Eom Ji-sung, Hwang’s replacement, going down with a knee injury.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo scrambled to call up two Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors teammates, Lee Seung-woo and Moon Seon-min, as their replacements for the upcoming match.
Injuries notwithstanding, the Jordan match was seen by pundits as the best South Korea had played so far in this round. In Son’s absence, young guns like Oh Hyeon-gyu, one of the two goal scorers, and Bae Jun-ho played with poise and showed off offensive skills that could make them mainstays on the national team for years to come. The defense, led by temporary captain Kim Min-jae, locked things down and gave Jordan very little space to operate, as South Korea avenged a 2-0 loss to the Middle Eastern foe in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in February.
South Korean players take part in a training session ahead of a World Cup qualifying match against Iraq at Seongnam Football Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 12, 2024, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Kim, the team’s top center back, had his third different partner in three matches with Cho Yu-min by his side against Jordan. The duo will likely return as a tandem considering the work they did last week.
It will bear watching who will take Hwang’s spot on the left wing, with Lee, one of the top scorers in the K League 1, looking to make his first international appearance since June 2019.
Oh, after scoring South Korea’s second goal as a second-half substitute for Joo Min-kyu, could draw his first international start. The goal was Oh’s first for South Korea.
Iraq defeated Palestine 1-0 in their most recent match Thursday. They have managed just two goals in three matches so far but have not conceded any.
The top two teams from each of the three groups in the third round will book their spots at the 2026 World Cup.
The match was moved from Seoul World Cup Stadium to Yongin Mireu Stadium due to poor pitch conditions at the Seoul venue.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)
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