“We didn’t want to take risks”: the reason for Inbeom Hwang’s absence | OneFootball

South Korea beat Ecuador 3-0 yesterday in Suwon, in the first of four home friendlies, but the absence of some of the national team’s key players did not go unnoticed. Interim coach Roberto Moreno explained why Inbeom Hwang, Kang-in and Cho Kyu-sung were left out and assured: “we decided not to take any risks.”

Inbeom Hwang had joined up with the national team after playing for FC Porto against Benfica three days earlier, on his birthday, and scoring the Dragons’ third goal in the derby. Faced with the surprise caused by the midfielder’s absence, Roberto Moreno pointed to a preventive decision taken in coordination with the medical staff.

The Spanish coach made clear that the decision was not limited to the Porto player. Kang-in, of Atlético de Madrid, and Cho Kyu-sung, of Midtjylland, were also left out due to physical signs that called for caution.

“The players’ exclusion from the match was a preventive decision, based on the recommendations of the medical staff. The players felt discomfort or muscle overload,” he explained. “There was a request from the medical staff and we decided not to take any risks.”

The explanation made it clear that this was not merely a technical decision. In a run of four friendlies on South Korean soil, the priority was to prevent the discomfort or muscle overload from developing into more serious problems.

Inbeom Hwang’s absence, however, was particularly felt off the pitch. Despite the clear victory over Ecuador, the South Korean press highlighted the FC Porto midfielder’s importance in the national team’s playmaking.

“Plan A was missing,” “the maestro was missed by the national team” and “without him the connection is not the same” were some of the reactions published.

The comments reveal the influence attributed to Inbeom Hwang, even in a match settled with a 3-0 win. Attention now turns to South Korea’s next game, against Uruguay, on Monday at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, scheduled to kick off at 12:00 mainland Portugal time.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.