The fullback of the national team is at the level of annihilation. At this rate, the available resources are almost lost due to the line injury.
South Korea's national soccer team, led by head coach Jürgen Klinsmann, tied Jordan 2-2 in the second Group E match of the 2023 AFC (Asian Football Federation) Qatar Asian Cup at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, at 8:30 p.m. on the 20th (Korea Standard Time). South Korea led the game with Son Heung-min's penalty kick in the 7th minute of the first half, but Park Yong-woo's own goal in the 37th minute of the first half and Yazan al-Naimat in the 45+6th minute of the first half were taken away by Yazan al-Arab's own goal in the 45+1st minute of the second half.
The big and small injuries afflict the defense. Kim, who plays on the left side, injured his left calf muscle during a game in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, and is concentrating on rehabilitation treatment in Qatar. The fatigue he accumulated throughout the 2023 season eventually festered into the injury. Kim is continuing his individual exercise after entering Qatar, and is expected to return after the group league.
Kim recently felt slight pain in his calf during training. He was excluded from the team's training on Wednesday and was seen cycling under a tent outside. He felt an abnormality in his right calf during training the previous day.
As the injury has occurred more than once, he does not seem to be recovering easily. Kim Tae-hwan, who played for nearly 60 minutes in the match against Jordan by adding 11 minutes of extra time to 45 minutes in the second half, again complained of pain in his right calf. "I got hurt while playing. I am not serious," Kim said in an interview after the match against Jordan.
Lee also said he felt muscle problems in the first half while playing against Jordan. His hamstring made a noise around 15 minutes in the first half, and he played despite pain to digest the entire first half. "I think that's why all of a sudden I have to wait and see. I don't think it's that severe," Lee said.
It is more than just an ideal event to have a competition without any injuries. As Coach Klinsmann said, it is a common occurrence when running in a tournament race like a marathon. However, it is worrisome that injuries continue to occur at fullback positions where Debs are not strong enough. The match against Malaysia is not the only event that remains in Korea. It is time to make full efforts to manage injuries.