Chorzow, Poland -- After suffering a painful defeat against Northern Ireland, South Korean national football team players said that they are ready to perform better against Poland.
South Korea, No. 59 in the latest FIFA rankings, will take on sixth-ranked Poland at Silesian Stadium in Chorzow on Tuesday. This is South Korea's second friendly this month after they fell 2-1 to Northern Ireland on Saturday.
South Korea, led by head coach Shin Tae-yong, began their first training in Chorzow on Sunday, mainly focusing on recovering the players' stamina. The players said they regret the result against Northern Ireland, but things will be different against Poland.
South Korean national football team midfielder Lee Jae-sung (L) trains with his teammates at Ruch Chorzow Stadium in Chorzow, Poland, on March 25. (Yonhap)
"I just couldn't sleep well last night because of the match (against Northern Ireland)," said Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors midfielder Lee Jae-sung, who played full time against Northern Ireland. "Because we traveled a long way to play here, we want to collect a good result. We'll show things that we've been preparing and perform better."
Red Bull Salzburg forward Hwang Hee-chan said he also got a feeling that they can have a better game against Poland. Hwang played 30 minutes against Northern Ireland as a second half substitute.
"If we can make more runs and learn things on the pitch, we'll do better," he said. "I have no personal goals. I just want to help our team collect a victory."
Kim Min-jae said he will not make the same mistakes that he showed against Northern Ireland. The 21-year-old center back, who plays for Jeonbuk, put the ball into his own net to deadlock the score 1-1 during the match in Belfast.
"I learned that I still need to improve and have to concentrate more," he said of the match against Northern Ireland. "I think our attackers did well, but defenders weren't good."
Kim, who has six international appearances, said he will make improvements.
"I have to play with a do-or-die mindset against Poland," he said. "It feels sad that I've disappointed many fans in the friendly against Northern Ireland, but I'll show a better performance next time." (Yonhap)
