PAJU, South Korea– Having put his players through a two-week camp and two friendly matches this month, Kim Hak-bum, head coach of the South Korean men’s Olympic football team, believes he has seen enough of their skills.
As he opened the final training camp on Tuesday before determining his 18-man roster for the Tokyo Olympics, Kim said he will look for other qualities in his athletes.
“I am not here to evaluate their abilities. The players that are here have already proven themselves on that front,” Kim told reporters before practice at the National Football Center (NFC) in Paju, north of Seoul. “I’ll keep an eye on their stamina and see if they’re willing to sacrifice themselves.”
Kim said he took scorching midsummer conditions of Tokyo into account when setting his camp roster.
“The key for me was to pick players who will be able to play at a high level in hot and humid conditions,” the coach said. “I also had to consider whom we may face in the quarterfinals and beyond.”
Kim opened his previous camp on Jeju Island with 28 players, and two more joined the team later. From the 30, Kim cut nine players and added two new faces who weren’t at the Jeju camp, for a total of 23 players at the NFC.
Kim is scheduled to announce his final team on June 30. And he won’t simply be cutting five players to get to 18.
While the men’s football tournament in Tokyo is open to players born on or after Jan. 1, 1997, countries can each carry a maximum three players over that age limit. This leaves only 15 spots up for grabs among under-24 players.
The competition for those few precious spots will be intense, but Kim said the players shouldn’t overexert themselves trying to make an impression.
“If the guys try too hard, it may lead to injuries,” Kim said. “Right now, the best way for the players to make the final team is to be themselves.”
Kim said it broke his heart to make the first round of cuts last week, and he is bracing himself for another tough decision next week.
“These players are like my children. But we can only take a limited number of players,” Kim said. “I’d like to thank those players who sacrificed so much to send the team to the Olympics.”
Centerback Kim Min-jae, midfielder Kwon Chang-hoon and striker Hwang Ui-jo are regarded as strong candidates for the three overage spots. Coach Kim said nothing has been finalized on that front.
Clubs aren’t obligated to release their players for the Olympics because the competition is outside FIFA’s jurisdiction.
“Other countries are having difficulties getting their hands on players, and it’s no different for us,” Kim said.
Once the team is set, South Korea will play tuneup matches on July 13 and 16 at home, before departing for Japan on July 17.
“I’d like to face strong opponents, and that will allow me to identify areas where we need some fine-tuning,” Kim said. “I understand negotiations are going very well.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency
