Oh Hyun-gyu prepares for a sortie against Saudi Arabia.
At 1:30 a.m. on the 13th (Korean time), Korea and Saudi Arabia will hold a national friendly match at St. James Park in Newcastle, England. Korea, which previously stayed in a 0-0 draw with Wales, is now undefeated (3 draws, 2 losses) in 5 games under coach Jürgen Klinsmann.
After coach Klinsmann, who was a star striker during his time as a player, took office, interest has focused on who will be the national team’s starting striker. There were three main candidates. Hwang Ui-jo, who played as a starter for a long time under the previous coach, Cho Kyu-sung, who left a deep impression through the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and Oh Hyun-gyu, who succeeded in advancing to Europe after the World Cup, were named to the first call-up list for Klinsmann.
Coach Klinsmann is giving opportunities to the three players in turns. During the March international match, Cho Gyu-seong and Hwang Ui-jo started as starters once, and Oh Hyun-gyu came on as a substitute in both games, replacing both players. In June, Oh Hyun-gyu and Cho Gyu-seong started one game each. Players who were not starters entered the field as substitutes. And in the game against Wales in September, Cho Gyu-seong started and Hwang Ui-jo played as a substitute.
As of now, there is no player who is clearly ahead of the competition. During the five games, the only goal scored by the striker was Hwang Ui-jo’s goal against El Salvador. The silence of the strikers dulls the entire team attack. He has only 4 goals in 5 games, and only recorded 1 effective shot in the last match against Wales. Even that was an effective shot by Son Heung-min.
Considering the usage pattern so far, it is highly likely that Oh Hyun-gyu will get a chance against Saudi Arabia. Since he did not appear at all in the last match against Wales, he is expected to be selected early on, either as a starter or as a replacement.안전놀이터
This is an important opportunity for Oh Hyun-gyu. Depending on his performance against Saudi Arabia, he may solidify his position or fall one step behind the competition. Compared to Cho Kyu-seong, who starts at least one game every time he is called up, and Hwang Ui-jo, who was the only player to score a goal in the Klinsmann system, he has not shown much yet.
The team’s situation, which will affect the future competitive structure, is not very favorable, so there is a need to leave an impression during the convocation period. Cho Gyu-sung is the key striker in Midtjylland, and Hwang Ui-jo is expected to receive frequent opportunities for the time being as he is loaned to Norwich City, where the main striker left due to a long-term injury. On the other hand, Oh Hyun-kyu, who plays for Celtic, is competing with last season’s Scottish Premiership top scorer Kyogo Furuhashi.