Defensive risk or missed opportunity? Opinion divided over decision to keep Castrop on the bench.

As Korea struggles to find an attacking breakthrough at the World Cup, questions are mounting over the continued absence of Jens Castrop, the Bundesliga regular left on the bench through the national team's first two group-stage matches.

The 23-year-old left wingback who plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach has yet to make his World Cup debut.

Instead, manager Hong Myung-bo opted to start Lee Tae-seok at left wingback against the Czech Republic in the opening match and Seol Young-woo in the second group stage game against Mexico. Castrop was also overlooked among the substitutes.

The biggest reason for Castrop's extended time on the bench appears to be concerns over his defensive reliability.

"Castrop frequently left space behind, even at the club level,” said Cho Won-hee, a commentator for KBS.

Castrop often pushes high up the pitch, creating openings for opponents on the flank. Originally a center midfielder, he is also considered less polished when it comes to organizing the defensive line and handling one-on-one defending.

His aggressive playing style has also raised concerns. During his time at Nürnberg between 2023 and 2025, he collected 22 yellow cards and two red cards in 54 appearances.

The structure of Korea's left side has also been a factor.

Left center back Lee Gi-hyuk is still relatively inexperienced, with just five international appearances under his belt. Paik Seung-ho, who usually operates as the left center midfielder, already shoulders significant defensive responsibilities, often covering space left by Hwang In-beom, who tends to rove around the pitch.

Communication factors may also be a concern: Castrop, born to a German father and a Korean mother, has a limited command of Korean.

The attacking strength of the opponents' right flank has played a role as well.

Czech right back Vladimir Coufal, a veteran with 64 international appearances, is known for his dangerous overlapping runs. And Mexico's Roberto Alvarado set up the opening goal with a curling left-footed cross.

Korea's decision to start Lee Tae-seok and Seol against those threats has been viewed as largely successful in containing both teams' attacks.

The problem, however, has been Korea's blunted offense.

With head-to-head results taking precedence over goal difference when teams are level on points, Korea desperately needed a win over Mexico to keep its hopes of finishing atop the group alive.

Even after Korea fell behind five minutes into the second half, Seol was kept on the pitch for nearly 20 more minutes despite his lack of attacking impact. He struggled to make a difference, with both his crosses and dribbles effectively neutralized. Seol also wasted a golden opportunity created by Son Heung-min, blazing a chance over the bar after choosing to shoot with his weaker left foot.

The BBC gave Seol a team-low rating of 4.64.

"When a player is asked to play in an unfamiliar position, confusion is almost inevitable,” said Lee Chun-soo, a left winger on the 2002 World Cup side that stormed to the semifinals on home turf. “It can completely disrupt his movement on the pitch."

Castrop's attacking ability, on the other hand, is regarded as one of the strongest among Korea's left wing back options.

Castrop ranked in the top 4 percent of league players for shooting and the top 8 percent for goalscoring during the previous season in 26 league appearances, according to statistics provider FotMob. He recorded 30 shots, 56 touches inside the opposition's penalty area, three goals and one assist.

In World Cup warm-up matches against Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador, he repeatedly used his energy and movement to exploit space behind opposing defenses.

Park Joo-ho, a commentator for JTBC, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, said Castrop was more than capable of competing at the international level.

"Considering he is a Bundesliga starter, he is certainly competitive enough," Park said. "Given his tendency to make runs into midfield and attack the space behind defenses, he was exactly the kind of player Korea needed against Mexico."

Some critics argue that Castrop still lacks chemistry with the national team. However, others counter that leaving a regular starter in one of Europe's Big Five leagues on the bench is hard to justify.

Korea now face South Africa on Wednesday in a pivotal match that could determine the side's fate at the World Cup. A draw would be enough to secure second place in the group and avoid a potential Round of 32 clash with heavyweights such as Germany or Belgium.

"If South Africa leaves plenty of space behind its defense, we can push our defensive line higher," Cho said. "That would reduce Castrop's defensive burden even if he joins the attack, increasing the chances that he could be used."

Stuck at work or school when Korea kick off? We've got you covered. The Korea JoongAng Daily is live-blogging every Korea match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, around the clock. Don't miss a moment.

BY PARK JUN-KYU [[email protected]]