Son, Europe-based players highlight Korean World Cup squad

Hong Myung-bo Korea World Cup team manager

Hong Myung-bo left K League Classic standouts Lee Myung-joo and Cha Du-ri off his Korean squad for the World Cup in Brazil, while Park Chu-young recovered enough from injury to make the team.

Park, the little-used Watford veteran, was one of many Europe-based players named on Hong’s final 23-man roster announced Thursday. The lineup was dominated by straightforward selections that also highlighted the dearth of talent at positions such as fullback.

The exclusion of Lee, the Pohang Steelers playmaker who many consider as the best Korean player in the domestic league, registered as a mild surprise, considering concerns about the form of Sunderland midfielder Ki Sung-yeung, who is battling tendinitis in his right knee.

Some had expected the lack of consistent options at right fullback to open an opportunity for Cha, the veteran FC Seoul defender, but Hong opted for younger players in Lee Yong (Ulsan Hyundai), Hwang Seok-ho (Sanfrecce Hiroshima) and Kim Chang-soo (Kashiwa Reysol).

Korea, making its eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, is grouped with Algeria, Belgium and Russia in Group H. Hong’s men will open their tournament against the Russians on June 17 at Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba.

After taking a moment to express his condolences for the victims of the recent ferry disaster, Hong spoke highly of his men who he claimed are capable of holding their own against the best players in the world.

“Many have compared the team to the ship, and as the ship’s captain, I feel a huge responsibility to deliver good news and hope to our nation at a difficult time,” Hong said at a news conference at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

Hong described Park, coming off a minor knee injury, as fit enough to spearhead his attack.

“I have confidence in my team — this is a talented squad that is young but experienced ... There is not a forward playing in Korea who can replace Park Chu-young — he has been building chemistry with the existing players and has been a good presence in the locker room,” said Hong.

“I know Lee Myung-joo has been playing brilliantly in the K League Classic and he is undoubtedly a good player. But his position and role with the Steelers is the same as players already established on the national team. In the defensive midfield role, I didn’t think there are better players than Han Kook-young and Ha Dae-sung.”

Park will likely start as the target man in Hong’s favored 4-2-3-1 formation with towering Ulsan Hyundai striker Kim Shin-wook on the bench.

Much of the scoring burden will fall on Bayer Leverkusen star Son Heung-min, who will start as  inside attacker on the left.

The 21-year-old scored nine goals and assisted on four others for Leverkusen through 33 games this season. Hong will need a sharp and assertive Son in Brazil to survive the group stages as the gap between Son and Korea’s next-best player is now a gulf.

With Son assigned to attack the box, Lee Chung-yong, the Bolton Wanderers winger, will need to provide width on the right. Koo Ja-cheol, an aggressive attacker from German club Mainz, will be placed in the hole behind the striker.

Hong appears to have settled on Ki, a deep-lying distributor, and Han Kook-young, the search-and-destroy artist from the Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol, as his central midfield axis. Ha Dae-sung (Beijing Guoan) was picked for his dual ability as a playmaker and tackler and Park Jong-woo (Guangzhou R&F) provides further insurance as a defensive midfielder.

Hong anchors his defense on the center-back partnership of Hong Jeong-ho (Augsburg) and Kim Young-gwon (Guangzhou Evergrande), while veteran Kwak Tae-hwi, currently playing for Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal FC, was picked for his experience.

Lee Yong seems to have the nod over Hwang and Kim Chang-soo as the starter at right fullback, while Kim Jin-su (Albirex Niigata) is the first choice at left back over Queens Park Rangers player Yun Suk-young.

Hong will take three goalkeepers to Brazil, with Jung Sung-ryong (Suwon Bluewings) expected to start over Kim Seung-gyu (Ulsan Hyundai) and Lee Bum-young (Busan IPark). Ji Dong-won (Augsburg), Kim Bo-kyung (Cardiff City) and Lee Keun-ho (Sangju Sangmu) are the key skill players on Hong’s bench.

In Brazil, Hong’s men are likely to be considered as underdogs throughout the group stage with the possible exception being the Algeria match.

Hong would prefer to secure at least a win and a draw before the third match against Belgium, an immensely talented squad that seems to have an outside chance at winning it all.

Belgium’s defense, featuring goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and all-world defenders Vincent Kompany and Jan Vertonghen, is rock solid.

Budding superstar Eden Hazard and the explosive Everton duo of Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku lead a fearful offensive unit, while Marouane Fellaini and Mousa Dembele anchor a deep midfield.

Under the leadership of former England boss Fabio Capello, Russia has successfully transformed into a stingy, defensive-minded team, which conceded only five goals during their qualifying campaign.

Russia boasts a strong midfield unit, with FC Dynamo Moscow player Igor Denisov shielding the back four and Roman Shirokov (FC Zenit Saint Petersburg) Denis Glushakov (Spartak Moscow) moving forward. Capello is expected to spearhead his attack with either Aleksandr Kerzhakov (FC Zenit) or Artyom Dzyuba (FC Rostov).

Algeria, an emerging African powerhouse, features some standout Europe-based players, such as Valencia playmaker Sofiane Feghouli and Livorno forward Ishak Belfodil.