SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia -- Trying to make a miracle, S. Korea on Monday conducted their tactical training for the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup match against Germany behind closed doors.
South Korea will face Germany at Kazan Arena in Kazan on Wednesday for their last match in Group F. Although chances appear to be slim, South Korea can still advance to the round of 16 even though they have dropped their last two matches.
If they beat Germany and Sweden lose to Mexico, then the three teams excluding Mexico would be tied at one win and two losses, meaning tiebreakers would determine their fate.
Only the first 15 minutes of training was opened to the press as the players practiced passing drills and ball control, with some showing smiles on their faces. All 23 players were present at Spartak Stadium in Lomonosov, a suburb of Saint Petersburg, Russia.
(Yonhap)
"Despite two losses, the team atmosphere isn't that depressing," a national team official said. "Today, they are in a fresh mood and are committed for training."
Park Joo-ho, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, and Ki Sung-yueng, suffering from a left calf injury, were also with teammates, even though they did not participate in the training.
South Korea returned to their base camp in Saint Petersburg just hours after they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Mexico in their second Group F match at Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday.
In their post-match training on Sunday, the players who started against Mexico had indoor training at their team hotel, while the other 11 players who didn't play or had little time on the pitch had passing drills and ball exercises on a rain-soaked pitch at Spartak Stadium in Lomonosov.
For Monday's training, South Korea reportedly practiced their counterattack tactics against Germany.
South Korea will arrive in Kazan around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Head coach Shin Tae-yong and forward Son Heung-min will attend an official pre-match press conference at 5 p.m. before training at Kazan Arena.(Yonhap)