Korea head coach Uli Stielike runs a practice session in Sydney, Australia. (Yonhap)
A handful of starting spots may be up for grabs on the South Korean men’s soccer team for January’s AFC Asian Cup in Australia, but the picture in goal remains the murkiest.
Head coach Uli Stielike has picked three custodians for his 23-man team for the top continental tournament, and each of Jung Sung-ryong, Kim Jin-hyeon and Kim Seung-gyu has a strong case to be the man in goal when South Korea opens the Asian Cup on Jan. 10 against Oman in Canberra.
As South Korea looks to lift its first Asian Cup since 1960, the three goalkeepers said they have long put the team ahead of their personal battles for playing time.
Korea’s goalkeepers Kim Seung-gyu (from left), Jung Sung-ryong and Kim Jin-hyeon take part in a practice session in Sydney, Australia. (Yonhap)
Jung is the senior member of the trio at 29 and is also the most experienced of the three, with 64 international matches to his credit. He has played in the past two FIFA World Cups but his second World Cup in Brazil this year was particularly disastrous for Jung. He allowed all four goals in South Korea’s 4-2 loss to Algeria in the second group stage match, and then was benched in favor of Kim Seung-gyu for the final group contest against Belgium.
Just when he began to hear whispers that his best days were behind him, Jung turned things around with his pro club, Suwon Bluewings in the top-flight K League Classic, and played his way back into the national team picture.
“I went through a slump after the World Cup but I tried to stay positive day in and day out,” Jung said at Macquarie University’s Sport Field in Sydney, South Korea’s base camp for the Asian Cup.
“I’ve battled along the way and now I am back on the national team. Competing for playing time doesn’t put extra pressure on me because it happens all the time. We will all analyze and study our opponents together.”
Kim Seung-gyu, 24, had a strong match in the 1-0 loss to Belgium at the World Cup.
At the Asian Games in Incheon this fall, Kim strung together seven consecutive clean-sheet victories as South Korea won the gold medal.
Though he had an inconsistent season with Ulsan Hyundai in the K League Classic, Kim, who has appeared in seven international matches, will get another chance to shine at an international event.
“It’s a huge honor to be named to the Asian Cup roster, but it also brings a lot of pressure because of our fans’ expectations,” he said.
“Once you’re on the national team, you can’t avoid competition. But above all, we’re all teammates on the same team. No matter who gets to start, the other two will be the cheerleaders on the bench.”
Kim Jin-hyeon, the least experienced of the bunch with four caps, has seen his stock rise exponentially under Stielike.
The 27-year-old with Cerezo Osaka in Japan’s J. League has played in two of the four matches coached by Stielike, while Kim Seung-gyu and Jung have each played in one.
South Korea blanked Paraguay 2-0 with Kim Jin-hyeon tending the net in October. A month later, South Korea fell to Iran 1-0 on a questionable goal and Kim was otherwise solid. He echoed the two teammates’ sentiment that no one player is above the team.
“Off the field, we’re all friends,” he said. “Admittedly, some competitive juices will be flowing on the field. I guess only our head coach knows who will get the nod at the Asian Cup, but we will all give our best in practices.” (Yonhap)
