Jürgen Klinsmann, head coach of the national soccer team.
Klinsmann's preparations for the Asian Cup are in full swing. With about two months to go until the tournament, coach Jürgen Klinsmann plans to call up his November squad with the same players to continue the "continuity and continuity" he has been emphasizing.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) unveiled its 23-man roster on Saturday afternoon for the second round of Asian qualifiers for the FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026 against Singapore (Nov. 16) and China (Nov. 21).
The roster includes the same core of players who were called up in October, including captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) and Cho Kyu-sung (Metzwillan).
With the exception of Song Bum-geun (Shonan Belmare), who has been away from the national team for the past five months due to injury, the 22 players are the same faces that were with the team in October.
There were no surprises this time, as there have been one or two in each of the June, September, and October roster announcements since Klinsmann's first call-up in March. Klinsmann, who has consistently named 24 or 25 players, also named 23 players, the same as his final Asian Cup roster.
Both Singapore and China have less objective strength of schedule than Korea, which could be a good opportunity to test new players.
Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in of the South Korean national soccer team.
However, Klinsmann is focused on perfecting his squad during the A-Match, which will be the last time he can call upon his best players before the Asian Cup qualifiers in two months.
Back in October, Klinsmann gave Son Heung-min the full 90 minutes against underdogs Vietnam, and even then, Klinsmann emphasized the need for "continuity and continuity," as well as improving organization.
Klinsmann plans to make the most of his last chance to call up his best squad, and he'll be looking to up the ante even further.
Following the call-up, South Korea will hold a final training camp in late December in Korea to prepare for the Asian Cup. However, it is difficult for players who play in Europe to be called up due to their clubs' schedules, so the national team will be composed mainly of players who play in the K League.
In the lead-up to the 2019 Asian Cup, Paulo Bento called up players from the K League, Japan, and China to train in Ulsan before traveling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the final.
With little time to spare, Klinsmann's men will need to be focused and energized from the November call-up if they are to reach the top of the Asian Cup podium. Continuity and consistency will be key for Klinsmann's side as they look to build on the good momentum of their recent three-game winning streak and take a step closer to winning their first Asian Cup in 64 years.
Since taking over the reins in February, Klinsmann has consistently talked about winning the Asian Cup. Klinsmann's side struggled in their first five matches (three draws and two losses), but have rebounded with wins in their last three matches and are in good spirits as they look to return to the top of the Asian Cup after 64 years. 19가이드03