By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff reporter
Buoyed by the win over Greece in the first group-stage match, South Korea resumed training at its base camp in Rustenburg ahead of the next match against Argentina on Thursday.
Huh Jung-moo's squad came back Sunday from Port Elizabeth on a charter flight, and had a 90 minute training session.
Manager Huh said Sunday he's looking forward to his next challenge on Thursday against Argentina. The Koreans, who are currently atop in Group B on goal difference ahead of Argentina, are looking to again take the world by surprise in the faceoff with the South Americans led by Diego Maradona.
In the interview, the manager said he is "looking forward to the next challenge."
"Argentina is one of the favorites for the title. It has a lot of star players, and it is a very hard nut to crack. But I told my players that we have to remain confident no matter who our opponent is," Huh said.
"Even if we don't win, we will be able to make some improvement as a team if we do what we have to do. I know our players still need to grow up further and we have a lot to work on.
"But just because our opponent is strong, I don't think we have to feel inferior."
Players were confident in their prediction for their second World Cup match.
"The overall atmosphere of the squad is getting better and better. We are in a good mood and good shape," veteran midfielder Kim Nam-il said.
"We have our own worries on the Argentina game, but we haven't been doing it our way so far, and are quite okay too. I'm sure we can get a good result if we hold on to the best we have."
Goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong, who made his World Cup debut against Greece on Saturday, said he is thrilled to see his dream come true.
"I was in high school when Lee Woon-jae was brilliant between the posts in 2002. I always dreamed of being there myself, and I've finally made it happen," Jung said. "Argentina has the best players, but we have our own edge. I will believe in my teammates and I'll just play my part."
It appears at the moment that the Argentinean players are not putting too much weight on its next counterpart. During Sunday's press conference, Lionel Messi said South Korea is strong and fast, but his team only needs to worry about its own condition.
Another key striker, Gonzalo Higuain, admitted he does not know much about the Korean team.
Argentina, blessed with an army of overwhelmingly talented attackers, has no problem in particular prior to Thursday's match.
The only possible concern comes from the fitness of midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron, who went off midway in the second half of the team's first match against Nigeria. Argentinean officials say the 35-year-old playmaker is expected to recover in time to meet the Koreans.
The South Korean team will head for Johannesburg Tuesday for the Argentina match, which will take place 1:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. in Korean time) Thursday at Soccer City Stadium.
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