Stakes high in Korea's China clash

Son Heung-min, second from right, practices with the Korean national football team at the National Football Center (NFC) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, ahead of Thursday’s World Cup qualification match against China. / Yonhap

It will be the biggest football game held in South Korea since June 2013 when the national team clinched its qualification for the 2014 World Cup despite losing to Iran in Ulsan.

On Thursday the action comes to Seoul for the opening game of the final round of qualifications for the 2018 World Cup, squaring Korea off against China. Twelve teams survive of the 46 that started out over a year ago and they have been split into two groups of six. The top two from each will qualify for Russia in summer 2018.

Korea has appeared on the global stage for the last eight occasions and if the team scores three points against China tonight and three more against Syria on Tuesday, it will be on solid ground for the remaining eight games.

The Taeguk Warriors have an excellent record against China, with just one loss in 30 meetings, but that only increases the desire of the visitor to do something special. Team Dragon squeezed through to the final round of qualifications but are under no pressure. Nobody expects China to win and it is in these situations that they can be dangerous.

There will be a large contingent of Chinese fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium to give their team the feeling of being back in the Middle Kingdom. Korea coach Uli Steilike knows that his team will have to be at its best.

"There are no easy teams in the final round," Stielike told reporters before a training session earlier this week. "China has recently pulled up their FIFA rankings and they are a competitive team."

Korea's internationally based players only started arriving on Monday, by which time China's domestic-based squad (all 24 play in the Chinese Super League except one) had been training together for a week in the northeastern city of Shenyang where it will return to face Iran next week.

Korea has recalled its players from England, Germany, Turkey, China, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Japan and only three from the K-League, with some arriving three or four days before the game.

"We don't have enough time, but on the day of the match, we will have to play like a team that has been working together for three months," he said. "Some players are with the team for the first time, but the rest of them have played together for a long time."

Much depends on the English Premier League contingent. Ki Sung-yueng is the captain and when on-form, is one of the best players in Asia. If the Swansea City midfielder links up well with Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur then China could be in trouble.

Son has been answering questions about his future in England with reports that a return to Germany could be in the cards with interest from Wolfsburg. "I haven't heard anything about my transfer," he said. "I don't want to think about things happening outside the stadium. I just want to focus on playing football. "It's not a good sign that transfer rumors are coming out," he said. "But I think it's meaningful that those in Germany acknowledge me."

It remains to be seen if Son can do his talking on the field.

At the back, there will be plenty of Chinese influence. Defenders Kim Young-gwo, Hong Jeong-ho, Kim Kee-hee and Jang Hyun-soo all play in the Chinese Super League. It is a sign of the changing face of Asian football and an opportunity for Stielike to pick up some inside information on the opposition.

At this stage, every advantage helps. This is a big game and if Korea picks up a win, it will be a great start to what could be an intense and tension-filled 12 months of international football.