Klinsmann on ‘hard-fought win’: “We won a tough game… Hwang Ui-jo is our player”

“Hwang Ui-jo is part of our team and nothing has been decided, so we need to help him focus on football”.

The South Korea national football team, led by Jürgen Klinsmann, defeated China 3-0 in the second match of Group C of the FIFA 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Second Qualifying Round at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen, China, at 9 p.m. on June 21.

“First of all, I want to thank the Chinese Football Association, the officials and the fans for their support,” Klinsmann said after the game, “It was a very difficult game. They had their chances. It would have been very difficult for us to concede in front of 40,000 fans. When we scored, we raised the atmosphere. We didn’t play as comfortable as we would have liked.”

“But it helps us to have players like Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Hwang Hee-chan who can finish up front. And in defense, Kim Min-jae is holding up and playing well. I think Korean soccer is at its peak with the best players. I think it’s a game that gives us hope for the Asian Cup.”

“We’ve had some good results in the last two games,” said Klinsmann, who is now in full Asian Cup mode. We got six points. We have to work harder to win the Asian Cup. It’s definitely a competition with good teams, so it can be difficult.”

“First of all, he is a member of our team,” Klinsmann said, “I know there is a controversy in Korea about his personal life. But it has to be decided clearly. I don’t think he’s a criminal because it’s an ongoing situation. It’s important 토토사이트 to help him perform well. I’ve experienced a lot of things in the last 40 years of soccer. If it’s clearly recognized as a problem, then maybe, but if not, you have to give him the opportunity to play hard.”

Meanwhile, Klinsmann said, “Two of our three goals came from set pieces. “We lost to Italy in the 2006 World Cup on a set piece, and they scored 70% of their goals from set pieces. We will prepare well to avoid a repeat of that disappointment.” “It’s always exciting to play in front of a full house. I’m sure both Korean and Chinese soccer fans will have a great time.”