Han Deok-hyun, the mental coach for the South Korean national soccer team led by Hong Myung-bo, expressed confidence in the team's success.
In an interview with reporters on June 16 at the Chivas Verde Bay training camp in Sapopan, Mexico, Han stated, "I have worked with many teams, including Olympic and baseball teams, but this team is special. We will definitely succeed."
He added, "The coaching staff conducts meetings with a level of thoroughness that is unimaginable from the outside. The staff is preparing diligently, far beyond what you might expect. Before the match against the Czech Republic, we prepared for every possible scenario, including strategies, tactics, and psychological readiness, which contributed to our comeback victory."
Han described the players' mental state as "stable," saying, "If I had to sum up the players' psychological state in one word, it would be 'stable.' They are not overly excited about the victory in the first match, nor do they think about winning the second match. They are simply enjoying the experience."
He also noted that Hong has drawn from his experiences in the World Cup and Olympics to prepare the players' mental states for the first, second, and third matches, discussing how best to communicate with them.
Ahead of the match against Mexico, Han emphasized to the players, "Instead of saying 'let's give it our all,' I told them to 'just play as usual.' The same applies for the match against Mexico."
South Korea will face Mexico in their second group stage match on June 19 at 10 a.m. at the Guadalajara Stadium.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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