From fringe to core

Midfielders Kim Seung-dae, left, and Lee Myung-joo have been leading a potent attack for the first-place Pohang Steelers. / Yonhap

K League Classic players compete to break into World Cup squad

By Kim Tong-hyung

While most shoo-ins for the Korean World Cup squad are wrapping up their seasons in Europe, another crop of Korean players are competing for the last seats on the plane to Brazil.

It seems there are about 20 names already on Korea manager Hong Myung-bo’s list for Brazil. It is now up to the lower-tier players in K League Classic to show they deserve to make the final 23-man roster, which Hong plans to announce on May 9.

Pohang Steelers midfielders Lee Myung-joo and Kim Seung-dae have shone in domestic competition, leading a potent attack that pushed the team to first place early in the season.

It will be a challenge for them to crack Hong’s midfield built around Europe-based players Son Heung-min, Lee Chung-yong, Koo Ja-cheol and Ki Sung-yueng. However, Hong may decide he needs more depth in the position, considering the workload and injury concerns surrounding his starters, who also have big roles with their clubs.

FC Seoul defender Cha Du-ri is another K League Classic player with a realistic shot at joining the national team. The veteran has been displaying impressive form this season and the lack of consistent choices at fullback may give him a chance to seize a starting spot in Brazil.

In his third year as a pro, Lee Myung-joo is making a strong argument as the best Korean player in the K League Classic, driving the defending champions Steelers with his non-stop motor, creativity and scoring ability. After 10 matches, the 24-year-old leads all K League Classic players with six assists and is tied for third with four goals.

FC Seoul defender Cha Du-ri appears to have a shot at becoming a starting fullback for Hong Myung-bo’s World Cup squad. / Yonhap

The case against Lee is that his value as a distributor and support attacker is duplicated by the players already established in Hong’s squad.

Hong seems happy with Ki as his deep-lying playmaker and Koo playing in the hole behind the striker. Han Kook-young, the search-and-destroy artist from Japanese club Shonan Bellmare, seems to have a leg up over competitors as Ki’s central midfield partner, while defending and tackling have never been Lee’s strengths.

However, Hong might find it hard to leave a talent like Lee off his roster when his creative players continue to deal with health concerns.

Ki’s form warrants particular worry as Sunderland mulls shutting him down for the rest of the season to allow him to nurse the tendinitis in his right knee. Koo, playing for German club Mainz, looked diminished in his first game back from a thigh injury last week.

Kim Seung-dae, 23, Lee’s Steelers teammate, is leading the K League Classic with six goals, impressing as the team’s "false nine,’’ an unconventional striker who drops deep into midfield.

Steelers coach Hwang Sun-hong speaks highly of Kim’s football IQ, skills and composure in front of the net and his versatility in the midfield might win him a ticket to Brazil.

Cha, who represented Korea in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, seems capable of beating Lee Yong and Kim Chang-soo for the job as Hong’s starting right fullback. At the age of 34, Cha continues to display a rare blend of size, strength and speed and Hong might find Cha’s physical presence as critical in matches against Belgium and Russia, which both have a wealth of big players.

In the World Cup in Brazil, Korea is paired with Algeria, Belgium and Russia in Group H, and will open the tournament against Russia on June 17.