European war training in January-February next year In April, the U-23 Asian Cup, which also serves as an Olympic qualifier, competes in the group stage with Japan, China, and the UAE. If you finish in the top 3, you will advance directly to the Olympics.
Hwang Seon-hong, who won his first three consecutive titles at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, is aiming for his best performance ever in 2024 by challenging for the Olympic finals for the 10th time in a row.
The first goal of the Olympic soccer team led by coach Hwang Seon-hong is to advance to the finals of the Paris Olympics.
As a result of the draw for the 2024 U-23 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup held in Doha, Qatar last month, Korea was placed in Group B along with Japan, China, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
This is not an easy group, so much so that they are called the 'Group of Death'.
They faced Japan in the finals of the Hangzhou Asian Games held in September and October and won 2-1. However, I also have painful memories of losing 0-3 in the quarterfinals of the U-23 Asian Cup last year.
China, which is well-known for its tough soccer, and UAE, which has the advantage of the Middle East, are also opponents that should not be taken lightly.
Korea, which holds the world record for the most consecutive Olympic appearances (9), will challenge for the Olympic finals for the 10th consecutive time since the 1988 Seoul Olympics through this U-23 Asian Cup.
Although it boasts a relatively high winning rate in this competition with a total of 18 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses, the only win was in the 2020 competition led by coach Kim Hak-beom.
However, coach Hwang Seon-hong, who gained confidence with the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, is determined to avenge Japan and win the trophy for the second time.
Gaining confidence from a 3-0 friendly win against the French U-21 team led by Thierry Henry during a training camp in France last November was also a driving force.
Coach Henry, a French soccer legend who spent his prime playing for Arsenal (England) and Barcelona (Spain) during his career, received heavy criticism after losing to Hwang Seon-hong.
Coach Hwang, who met at a coffee shop in Seongnam on the 26th, said, “(In the game against France), I tried to boldly replace members in the middle of the second half as an experiment, but I thought it would be good to win the game to build confidence,” and added, “I also told the association. I said I wanted to play more games like this. “It’s not easy, but we have to stick with a lot of strong teams,” he said.
The players also ignited their resolve by beating France, the host country of the Paris Olympics and a team with many players playing for big European clubs.
Coach Hwang said, “Ahead of the game against France, I gave the players a 10-minute video analyzing the opponent’s style, and when Hwang Jae-won (Daegu) watched it, he said it was a level he had never experienced before,” adding, “The quality was different from the Asian teams.” .
At the same time, he said, “I told the players that they can feel confident with the victory against France. “Although we won, France was a team with great individual abilities,” he said.
Coach Hwang, who led the game in the Asian Games with forward pressure and possession, brought results by lowering the line and playing practical soccer against France.
He said, “The players lacked experience in defense when they came down, but we placed more emphasis on defense. He also ordered the team to be more active in building up from the back. “He told me to be bold because it was okay to concede goals,” he said.
He continued, “In the first half, I couldn’t come to my senses and kept kicking the ball far away. “Then I adapted in the second half,” he added.
Coach Hwang emphasized the importance of an organic tactical response according to his opponent. He said, “We talk about tactical philosophy these days, and I think that in order to run a national team for each age group, a two-track system should be possible. “We need to take the initiative against an Asian team, and when we meet a strong team like France, we need a strategic approach,” he said. “Personally, I don’t think it’s advisable to die in a flash. “Depending on the opponent, you need to prepare two or more,” he explained.
To this end, the Olympic team plans to increase the density of opponent strategy analysis by recruiting coaches.
He said, “We are continuously talking with the association. “In order to increase the number of people, we have to go through budget and procedures, but we plan to add more staff during the training camp in January and February next year.”
Director Hwang, who had a busy year-end, including his daughter Hwang Hyun-jin's wedding ceremony on the 23rd, is already full of roadmaps for next year's Paris Olympics.
Hwang Seon-hong, who is scheduled to be called up in mid-January 2024, plans to leave for training in Europe by early February. Turkiye is the most likely candidate.
Then, after completing convocation training and evaluation matches in March, they will participate in the U-23 Asian Cup, which opens in Qatar in April.
In this tournament, where qualification for the Paris Olympics is at stake, 16 countries are divided into 4 groups and play in the group stage. The 1st and 2nd place teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals and go through a tournament to determine the winner.
If you place in the final three, you will receive the right to participate in the Paris Olympics. If they rank 4th, they will have to play a playoff against a country from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
If Seon-Hong Hwang ranks in the top 3 of the U-23 Asian Cup and wins a ticket to the Paris Olympics finals, he will undergo convocation training and evaluation matches in June, confirm the final entry, including wild cards, and head to Paris in July. 스포츠 토토사이트
Coach Hwang said, “I want to play fast-paced soccer at the Olympics. He has preferred that type of soccer ever since he was a coach at Pohang Steelers. The speed of conversion must be fast. I don't like backpasses for possession. “We need to move forward as much as possible and be aggressive,” he said.
Regarding his goal in the Olympics, he said, “The first thing to do is to pass the preliminaries and advance to the finals,” and “I will tell you about my Olympic goal after I pass the preliminaries. “I don’t want to get excited,” he said, sparing his words, but his eyes were clearly looking high up.
Lastly, Coach Hwang expressed his gratitude to the K-League clubs and fellow coaches for their cooperation in selecting players.
He said, “I want to say that I am truly grateful for this year. In the case of Jeonbuk, 5 people were drafted even though the team was not in a good situation,” he said. “I must have accumulated a lot of virtue, and the coaches really helped me a lot. I've coached a professional team, so I know it's not easy. “That’s why I’m even more sorry and grateful.”
He added, “I think I’ll have to be sorry next year as well. Sometimes, there are directors who call to ask for a look. But what can I do? “I can’t either,” he said with a smile, “I guess I’ll have to ask for help again.” 슬롯사이트