Koreans train behind closed doors with Mexico looming

Korean players take part in a training session for the FIFA World Cup at Chivas Verde Valle in Zapopan, Mexico, Monday (local time). Yonhap

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Korean players trained behind closed doors Tuesday, two days before their second group stage match of the FIFA World Cup against Mexico.

According to the Korea Football Association (KFA), Korea worked out for about 90 minutes at their training facility, Chivas Verde Valle, in Zapopan, near Guadalajara in western Mexico.

The Taegeuk Warriors also trained behind closed doors two days prior to their first Group A contest against Czechia last week and went on to win that match 2-1.

With Mexico having beaten South Africa 2-0 to begin their tournament as a co-host last week, the winner of the upcoming match will likely determine who will advance to the knockout round as the top dog out of Group A.

The kickoff is at 7 p.m. Thursday (local time) at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, or 10 a.m. Friday (Korean time).

The eve of the match will include the official prematch press conference for head coach Hong Myung-bo and a player to be named later, plus a training session open to media.

According to KFA officials, Korea concentrated on sharpening their defensive and offensive tactics, and also worked on their set pieces during Tuesday's session.

For the second straight day, the full squad was available for training, with defender Kim Tae-hyeon and midfielder Bae Jun-ho both having recovered from ankle injuries.

After the session, the players were given time off to spend with family and friends in the afternoon, officials said.