Korea set to take on World Cup co-host US with Korean German midfielder waiting in wings

Korea will face the United States on the weekend in the first of their two friendly matches scheduled for September in America, as they look to ratchet up their preparations for the FIFA World Cup next summer. Ranked 23rd in the world, Korea will face 15th-ranked U.S. at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, at 5 p.m. Saturday (local time), or 6 a.m. Sunday (Korean time). The Taegeuk Warriors will then face world No. 13 Mexico in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday (local time). Korea's two opponents this month will also be co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, along with Canada. Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo has said he sees the two-match trip as an opportunity to test his team's mettle against strong opponents while also getting an early peek into playing conditions on U.S. soil. Korea have five wins, three draws and three losses all time against the U.S., though the last win came in a friendly match in December 2001. Korea lost the two teams' most recent match, a friendly in Los Angeles in February 2014, by 2-0. Hong's 26-man squad features a mix of usual suspects and youngstersWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times