The 'Klinsmanns' are in high spirits as they begin their final warm-up for their quarterfinal clash with Australia, despite being physically challenged by the lack of rest.
Jürgen Klinsmann's men's national team will take on Australia at Al-Janub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar, at 0:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday for a spot in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023.
South Korea held its final training session at the 메이저 토토사이트 Al Eglah Training Center in Doha one day ahead of the match.
The team will not have much time to rest after a hard-fought 120-minute penalty shootout win over Saudi Arabia on March 31.
All 26 players were present on the training field today.
Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang In-beom (Zvezda), Park Jin-seop (Jeonbuk), and Lee Ki-jae (Suwon) taped up their knees and thighs to prepare for any possible injuries.
Despite the physical exertion, the players were in good spirits. The players arrived at the training center with smiles on their faces, joking and chatting with each other as they prepared for training.
When the team started training in earnest, "captain" Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) took the lead, shouting "Chu~!" to raise the atmosphere. Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan also cheered loudly, making the training center noisy.
National team striker Cho Kyu-sung (Meatwillan) told the official pre-practice press conference, "Korea has two days less rest than Australia, but I'm not too worried because the players have a lot of experience. Mental strength is more important than physical strength now," he said.
The Aussies, who prepared for the match at the Qatar University training center in Doha, were also in good spirits. During the 15 minutes that were open to the media, the Aussies looked relaxed as they practiced rondo (5-on-2 passing) drills and warmed up for their quarterfinal match.
The Aussies don't have any major fitness issues compared to South Korea. The Socceroos had a full four days of rest after their round of 16 match against Indonesia on March 28, a 4-0 win.
"(The rest day difference) is the most important part of the matchup between the two teams," said Australia coach Graham Arnold, adding, "The players were refreshed after the round of 16. We'll go into the game with a good mindset," he said, acknowledging the fitness advantage.