By Jung Min-ho
Korea will open its Olympic football campaign against Mexico at St. James' Park in Newcastle, Thursday.
With a clear aim of a first Summer Games medal in the sport, it is important for Team Korea to do well in its first match before taking on Switzerland and Gabon, the other nations in Group B.
This is Korea's seventh straight Olympic appearance and ninth in total at the football tournament, but it has only made it beyond the first stage twice. The Olympics has always been tough challenge for the nation. With key defenders Hong Jeong-ho and Han Kook-young missing from the squad through injury, a podium place may be a long way off. Nonetheless, manager Hong Myung-ho is confident on the upcoming encounter with the team won the men's CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament earlier this year.
“There are no selection problems for the game against Mexico,” Hong said after a training session on Tuesday. "Mexico is strong when it comes to offense, and it's a well-prepared team with outstanding individual skills, but we've found that they have big holes on defense. So, it is important for us to attack their weaknesses."
Thanks to good attacking displays by players based overseas, Korea earned a morale-boosting 3-0 victory against Senegal on July 20. Arsenal forward Park Chu-young and Celtic midfielder Ki Sung-yueng’s are expected to play crucial roles since the team heavily relies on them for its offense. Along with Augsburg midfielder Koo Ja-cheol, Park and Ki were on the scoresheet against Senegal.
The men’s football competition will kick off with the game between Honduras and Morocco on July 26, a day before the opening ceremony to fit in the 16 teams’ matches.
After Mexico, Korea will face Switzerland in Coventry on July 30 and then Gabon in London on Aug. 2.
The Olympic tournament will feature four groups of four countries with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage.
“We have to win the first game by any means possible,” Hong said. “We are planning to give everything we have.”