Coach displeased with scheduling as S. Korea open camp for World Cup qualifiers

HWASEONG, South Korea, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea men's football head coach Uli Stielike on Monday expressed his displeasure over the scheduling of international matches, as his team opened training camp for two World Cup qualifiers next month.

South Korea will host Laos Thursday night, looking for their second straight win in the second round of the Asian qualifying matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The match will be 8 p.m. Thursday at Hwaseong Sports Complex Main Stadium in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, just south of Seoul. South Korea will then fly to Lebanon next Tuesday for the second match.

In the buildup to the matches, three South Korean players based in Germany have switched clubs, and their transfers have affected the national team, too. Winger Son Heung-min has gone from Bayer Leverkusen to Tottenham Hotspur. Two former Mainz 05 teammates, Park Joo-ho and Koo Ja-cheol, have joined new clubs in the Bundesliga, with Park going to Borussia Dortmund and Koo to FC Augsburg.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) has said Son will not travel to Lebanon so that he can handle some administrative work in South Korea. Park is still in Germany and will only join South Korea for the Lebanon match. Koo had arrived here Sunday but left later the same evening to complete his transfer. He will not be in action against Laos and his status for Lebanon is doubtful.

With his established veterans on the sidelines, the chagrined Stielike took shots at FIFA.

"I think FIFA should take into account transfers in European leagues when scheduling these matches," the coach said. "Around this time of the year, players are bound to get moved around and it affects the operations of the national team."

Stielike will also be short-handed on offense, with striker Lee Jeong-hyeop out with a facial fracture he suffered in a league match last week.

"I am counting on other forwards such as Suk Hyun-jun and Hwang Ui-jo to have good performances," Stielike said. "Son Heung-min and others on the secondary line of attack should also step up."

Ahead of the start of the training, Son, the 13th South Korean to join the English Premier League, was at the center of attention.

He said it had long been his dream to play in the Premier League, but kept his focus on the upcoming task of playing Laos.

"I haven't played as much as others early in the season, but I am in good form," he said. "No matter who scores, it's important to get the victory at home. I think the key will be to score the first goal of the match."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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