The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will test the altitude adaptation skills honed at its pre-tournament camp through two upcoming friendly matches.
The national team (FIFA ranking 25th) will face Trinidad and Tobago (102nd) at 10 a.m. on May 31 at Brigham Young University's (BYU) South Field in Salt Lake City, Utah. The team will then play its final friendly against El Salvador (100th) at the same venue at 10 a.m. on June 4.
The two friendlies serve as a testing ground for the altitude adaptation training currently underway at the pre-tournament camp in Salt Lake City. The national team will play its first and second World Cup group stage matches in Guadalajara, Mexico, located at an altitude of 1,571 meters above sea level. At high altitude, oxygen delivery to the muscles decreases, reducing the ability to repeat sprints and slowing recovery. High-altitude symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and reduced concentration can be fatal in football, where split-second judgment is crucial. "If the matches were in a different region, we could have arranged friendlies against stronger opponents, but since our group stage venue is Guadalajara, I thought it would not be efficient to go to a different region for the friendlies," Hong explained.
Hong is determined to complete his pre-check of altitude adaptation through these friendlies and deliver top performance at the World Cup.
The Korea Football Association said, "Through the two friendlies before entering Mexico, we plan to enhance our adaptation to the high-altitude environment and refine our tactical execution," adding, "Since the first and second group stage matches will be held in Guadalajara, a Mexican high-altitude city at 1,571 meters above sea level, we are focusing on sharpening our match sense in conditions similar to the actual games."
Attention is also turning to the lineups Hong will field in these friendlies. Hong is expected to evaluate his players evenly across the two matches. Hong, who departed for Salt Lake City from Incheon International Airport on the 18th, has been building chemistry primarily with K League players. Overseas-based stars including Son Heung-min (LA FC), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) have joined the squad in stages, but have yet to fully gel with the team.
