(World Cup) Now in Rostov-on-Don, hot weather ahead for S. Korea

All News 23:40 June 22, 2018

By Joo Kyung-don

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia, June 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea have to deal with many things when they face Mexico at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but one certain thing that they can't change is hot weather in the southern Russian city.

South Korea and Mexico will play their second match in Group F at Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don, some 1,000 kilometers south of Moscow, on Saturday. Located alongside the Don River, the city's hot weather could be a factor for South Koreans who have been training in cooler conditions.

According to the weather forecast, Rostov-on-Don's highest temperature could go up to 34 degrees Celsius on the match day. The match between South Korea and Mexico kicks off at 6 p.m., but the data shows temperatures will still be about 30 degrees Celsius around that time.

The weather conditions are likely to affect South Korea's preparations for the crucial match, which could determine the national team's fate at the 2018 World Cup. After dropping their Group F opener 1-0 to Sweden, South Korea need a win to stay in knockout stage contention.

South Korea have been training in Saint Petersburg after arriving in Russia for the 2018 World Cup. Compare to Rostov-on-Don, Saint Petersburg has cool weather, with temperatures staying around 20 degrees Celsius.

Playing under hot weather means that the players' endurance and stamina could be more important than on other occasions.

South Korea head coach Shin Tae-yong admitted that hot weather could be a factor for the crucial match.

"It's true that the weather is hotter than I thought," he said in a pre-match conference on Friday. "The temperature here is about 15 degrees hotter than Saint Petersburg, and our players might have a hard time adjusting to the weather. But I believe that around kickoff time, we'll get some winds and little sunlight on the ground."

Shin said Mexico will take advantage of the hot weather, which they are used to.

"Mexico are a team who are used to playing in this kind of weather," he said. "They even had friendly matches around sunset time. So I believe they are used to this kind of environment."