New manager needs to find new talent

Uli Stielike, manager of the Korean men’s national soccer team, has worries as he has the task of finding new faces for this Middle Eastern visit.

The Korean men’s national soccer team will have friendly matches with Jordan on November 14 and with Iran on November 18. The roster will be announced on November 3. The away matches against the Middle Eastern nations will be the last ones of the Korean men’s national soccer team for this year.

The Asian Cup hosted by the Asian Football Confederation will be held in Australia in January 2015. This would be the first match for Stielike to lead the Korean men’s national soccer team. Since the Asian Cup preliminary entry of 50 needs to be submitted by AFC by December 9, the team members will undergo a final monitoring at the upcoming friendly matches in the Middle East.

An obstacle has befallen Stielike ahead of the roster announcement: injuries. Multiple players who played in the matches with Paraguay and Costa Rica have been injured. Three of them need profuse blood transfusions. In particular, the hurt are the defense and strikers, where Stielike is giving the most effort.

Kim Ju-yeong, who had played as the sweeper in the friendly match with Costa Rica (lost 1-3), sustained a thigh injury in the K-League Classic match with Busan on Sunday. He needs two or three weeks rest. Lee Yong and Kim Young-kwon, who handled the defense line in the friendly with Paraguay (2-0 win), have a broken nose and thigh injury ,respectively, which will likely prevent them from playing in other friendlies. Park Ju-ho, who injured his ankle, likewise is not well enough yet.

Half those of the defense in the two friendlies appear unable to play in November. Stielike must come up with a new defense lineup.

The strikers are also beleaguered. Following Kim Shin-wook’s leg injury at the Incheon Asian Games, Lee Dong-guk recently suffered a calf injury. In the upcoming friendlies, Park Joo-young and Lee Geun-ho, who are playing in the Middle East, may be selected instead of Kim Shin-wook and Lee Dong-guk.