DUBAI (Yonhap News) ― A pair of U.K.-based midfielders for the South Korean men’s national soccer team on Thursday expressed confidence against Lebanon in their upcoming World Cup qualification match.
South Korea will face Lebanon in Beirut next Tuesday in the final round of Asian qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
South Korea set up a training camp here in Dubai earlier this week, before flying to Lebanon over the weekend.
The kickoff is 8:30 p.m. Tuesday local time, and 2:30 a.m. Wednesday in South Korea.
Kim Bo-kyung (center) helped Cardiff City earn a promotion to the Premier League this past season. (Yonhap News)
South Korea is trying to qualify for its eighth straight World Cup and its ninth overall.
In its previous meeting against Lebanon in June last year, South Korea prevailed 3-0, on the strength of two goals by midfielder Kim Bo-kyung.
The Cardiff City player said Thursday he will look to add to the tally against the same opponent.
“I always think about scoring goals,” he told reporters ahead of the team’s training at the Sevens Stadium. “If I get the opportunity this time, I will try to score.”
Kim helped Cardiff City earn a promotion from the second-tier Football League Championship to the top-division English Premier League for next season.
He started his first English season slowly but turned things around following his switch from the wing to central midfield.
He had previously played on the wing for the national team but said Thursday he expects to slide over to center this time.
“I think I can make a bigger contribution playing at center,” the crafty midfielder said. “Depending on our formation, I have to be more aggressive on the offensive end and try to feed the ball to our forwards.”
Lee Chung-yong is another South Korean who spent the 2012-2013 season in the Football League Championship. His Bolton Wanderers, however, failed to earn promotion to the Premier League for the 2013-2014 season.
Lee joined Bolton in 2009, when the club was still playing in the first division. Yet Bolton was relegated to the second division after the 2011-2012 season and will spend at least another season there.
The team’s fate has led to speculation that Lee, 24, could leave the English side for a first-division team in Europe this offseason.
He told reporters Thursday, however, that he won’t worry about his future.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but as long as I am training with the national team, I’d like to stay focused on the national team matches,” Lee said.
“I want to make sure I am ready to play against Lebanon.”
Lee said his South Korean teammates should play within themselves.
“Lebanon is the desperate team, not us,” he said. “We have no reason to rush things. We should play steady football and show what we’re capable of.”
South Korea is in second in Group A with 10 points, one point behind Uzbekistan and three ahead of Iran and Qatar.
Lebanon is in last place with four points.
Uzbekistan has played six games and South Korea has played five. Only the top two teams from the group will automatically qualify for the 2014 World Cup.