3 Singled Out for More Endurance Work

Training started in three groups at Glasgow’s Murray Park in Scotland yesterday. After a warm-up, most players participated in ball-passing and a mini game. Kim Nam-il, Song Jong-guk, Kim Yeong-cheol, Baek Ji-hun, and Lee Ho grouped up and went through a made-to-order training exercise. There training for Kim Nam-il, Song Jong-guk, and Kim Young-cheol were carried out in a peculiar way. The running exercise involved 20m sprints followed by jogging and walking, all in repetition.

Interval training is an exercise that enhances a player’s cardiovascular endurance by repeating cycles of intense physical motion and incomplete rest, simulating the conditions in a real soccer match.

As to why the three should be separated from other players during the training was not explained by the coaching staff. This isolation means that these players have lower stamina compared to others. Both Song Jong-guk and Kim Nam-il have recently suffered injuries; Kim Yeong-cheol too, is sluggish in comparison to other players.

What worried Dick Advocaat the most since the start of the training was the differences in players’ conditioning. There were big gaps found among players based in Europe, Japan, and Korea, making it difficult to carry out intensive training programs. Although the team’s overall endurance level has been upgraded compared to four years ago, the league schedules and injuries conflicted greatly with the team’s training plan. Baek Ji-hoon and Lee Ho, on the other hand, are going through rehabilitation for injuries suffered during the Senegal match on May 23.

Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com