Moreno's first Korea squad could spotlight fresh faces for friendlies
Interim coach Robert Moreno will announce his first national team roster Monday ahead of four fall friendlies, with several K League standouts in contention.
Roberto Moreno, the new interim manager for Korea's national football teamSCREEN CAPTURE
Robert Moreno, the interim manager of the Korean national football team, is set to name his first squad on Monday.
"Moreno will arrive at Incheon International Airport on [Sunday] and announce the national team squad for four international matches in September and October at Korea Football Park in Cheonan on [Monday]," the Korea Football Association said Wednesday.
Korea will play four friendlies in September and October: against Ecuador in Suwon on Sept. 24, Uruguay in Seoul on Sept. 28, Venezuela in Ulsan on Oct. 2 and Uzbekistan in Yongin on Oct. 6.
The upcoming international window overlaps with the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. With established senior national team players including Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City, Bae Jun-ho of Stoke City and Yang Hyun-jun of Celtic FC set to join the Asian Games squad, attention is turning to what surprise selections Moreno could make.
Moreno, who took charge of Korea on Sept. 1, demonstrated a deep understanding of Korean football during his interview. He reportedly even showed familiarity with the unique circumstances surrounding Gimcheon Sangmu FC, whose squad consists of players completing their mandatory military service.
Whether Moreno remains in charge through next January's Asian Cup will be determined by the performances and results of Korea's six matches through November. He faces the challenge of experimenting with the squad while also delivering results.
Moreno is expected to build his squad around players who featured at the recent World Cup while closely assessing a pool of roughly four candidates for each position.
The Spanish manager is likely to make Atlético Madrid's Lee Kang-in a key figure in his plans. But how he uses captain Son Heung-min of LAFC, who has scored 56 international goals, is expected to present another significant decision.
Attention is also focused on new and possibly returning names. Jeong Seung-won of FC Seoul, Lee Seung-woo of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Cho Hyun-taek of Ulsan HD FC have impressed in K League 1 recently and could be in contention for a call-up.
FC Seoul's Jeong Seung-wonKOREA PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Right winger Jeong recorded eight goals and three assists in July and August alone, spearheading FC Seoul's run at the top of the table and emerging as the league's MVP candidate. He is seeking his first national team call-up since July last year.
Lee, who has not been called up to the national team for the past two years, has recorded five goals and two assists since July and is making a strong case for a return.
Cho has developed into an intimidating defender for second-place Ulsan, operating at both left wingback and fullback. His expansive, energetic style of play is reminiscent of his role model, Andrew Robertson, and could also be a good fit for Moreno's tactics, which favor European-style wingbacks.
Korea's defense on the flanks struggled to contain opposing attacks at the World Cup and has also faced criticism for playing an overly timid, so-called "gentleman's football" style, potentially making Cho an attractive option for Moreno.
Among Europe-based players, whether Kim Min-su of Rangers FC and Jeong Woo-yeong of FC Union Berlin receive call-ups is also drawing attention.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
