The Asian Games national soccer team will be the first Korean team to play the first round of the group stage tomorrow against Kuwait.안전놀이터
The players, who had adapted to the scorching heat, were determined to win.
This is Jinhua City in Zhejiang Province, 2 hours southwest of Hangzhou, China, where the Asian Games are held.
The national soccer team plays all three preliminary matches here.
It is a familiar place for the national team, having played two friendly matches against China three months ago.
The variable is the sweltering weather with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees even after the sun sets.
The players who came to training with bright expressions also had a hard time adapting to the heat by continuously drinking water.
In particular, due to the tight schedule of playing against Kuwait tomorrow, which is also the first game for the Korean team, and then playing the second game with only one day of rest, injuries and conditioning are the biggest issues.
[Lee Han-beom/Asian Games National Football Team]
“I think tomorrow’s game is the last game. Rather than blaming the environment, I think the answer is to just win no matter where we play.”
The 2014 Incheon Asian Games, where he won the gold medal by winning all seven games.
The Jakarta tournament had to take a difficult journey to the gold medal after being caught by an underdog in the group stage.
The players, who are attempting to win their third consecutive championship, pledged to give their all from the first game.
[Lee Gwang-yeon/Asian Games national soccer team]
“We all know that we have to get the first step right, and because we have to win a gold medal, all of our players are preparing well with earnestness and a corresponding sense of responsibility.”
Meanwhile, the women’s national soccer team will complete its last high-intensity training in Korea and leave for China, the final match tomorrow.
This is Kim Soo-geun of MBC News from Evolution.
Video coverage: Jang Young-geun, Na Kyung-woon / Video editing: Kwon Na-yeon