SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Tottenham star Son Heung-min is not required for the South Korean national team to return from a forced COVID-19 break to play in the Premier League.
They will be full national groups when South Korea and South Korea’s under-23 groups face off Friday at the first of two games in Goyang, northern Seoul, on their return to action after closing.
Japan’s technique returns in a contrasting way, employing only foreign players in his team for foreign friendlys in the Netherlands off Cameroon and Ivory Coast. Due to quarantine restrictions and rules, he would have taken players out of the J-League for too long if they had been forced to meet in Europe.
If the coronavirus had not closed the world game in March, Asia would now be in the final stages of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, but the rankings have been delayed until 2021 and continental heavyweights will have to think openly to prepare for a full return to foreign competition.
With all arrivals in South Korea subject to 14 days of quarantine, son, who scored six goals with Tottenham in the first four games of the Premier League season, can remain in London for this foreign stop. Lee Kang-in of El Valencia and German star Hwang Hee-chan also received the license.
Coach Paulo Bento can use players from the house, but is grateful to have the chance to form a team for the first time in 11 months.
“I’m going to use those exhibition matches as an opportunity to review some of the things we’ve done in the afterlife and for new faces to acclimatize to our system,” Bento said.
The under-23 team in a position to compete at the July Olympics, however, the Tokyo Games were postponed for 12 months due to the pandemic.
“The players are also very pleased to be here,” said Kim Hak-bom, head coach of South Korea’s under-23 team. “Our enthusiasts are hungry for action in the national team and we will give them anything to celebrate. My role as an under 23 coach is to continue expanding young players and taking them to the senior team.
Japan has chosen only players in Europe for the friendly in Utrecht, Holland.
“We haven’t been active for almost a year, so I need to reaffirm the basics and unify our intentions,” japanese technician Hajime Moriyasu said.
This is the first time Japan has decided on a list made up entirely of players from abroad, meaning that in addition to Takumi Minamino of Liverpool and Maya Yoshida of Sampdoria, Moriyasu has summoned young talents such as Takefusa Kubo of Villareal in Spain and Yukinari Sugawara of AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands.
“I’m incorporating young, green players to help them reach their level,” Moriyasu said. “I need us to win Cameroon and Ivory Coast and head for the Tokyo Olympics. “
China is conducting a five-day educational camp in Shanghai, while Iran faces Mali and Uzbekistan. Asian champion Qatar takes on Ghana in other foreign friendly.
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