Team Korea Preparing for Its Big Game

Montreal Olympic Stadium was filled with the deafening sounds of cheering the day before. Korean football players, who battled Brazil with all their hearts, had to comfort themselves during their practice on this day. The Korean national youth football players participated in recovery training for more than one hour just one day after their loss the previous day. They have just one more game separating them from the quarterfinals.

On July 7, Korea will play Poland in the third game of preliminary round of the youth championships in this stadium. Korea has recorded one tie and one loss so far, and needs to beat Poland to reach the quarterfinals. You would think that the players are nervous, but they look quite confident.

Shin Yeong-rok (Suwon Samsung), who scored with a hurt nose from earlier in the game, walked laps around the field with his trainer instead of participating in the recovery training. The starting players who played against Brazil did stretching exercises and worked out. It is important that the players get rest and recover their condition.

Team doctor Shin Dong-eun said that because many of the players who play on professional teams, they know how to treat their bodies. He said that the players are getting massages too. Midfielder Shin Gwang-hoon (Pohang Steelers) said, “Eating well and sleeping well is the key to a fast recovery. We mostly watch movies, listen to music, and read while we rest.”

The Polish team exempted players who played against the U.S. the day before from practice. Paolo Constanti, their media officer, said that the players are taking walks and resting in saunas. The team is trying to get over its 1-6 loss to the U.S.

Japan, which is in Group F, beat Costa Rica 1-0 and secured two wins, becoming the first team to achieve entry to the quarterfinals.

kimsk@donga.com