The key to this ‘surprise card’ brought out by Manager Hong Myung-bo is the large-scale reorganization of the offensive line and the distribution of physical strength. Instead of calling existing veterans such as Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-seong to the bench, they increased their destructive power by appointing Oh Hyun-gyu, who warmed up by scoring in the match against the Czech Republic, as the lone top player. In addition, Hwang Hee-chan, who has been used as a replacement resource, has the opportunity to play as a starter for the first time in this competition, and he plans to pioneer a creative offensive route in the second line with Lee Kang-in. This is a strategic calculation to eliminate the dullness of the attack that was revealed in the match against Mexico and to put strong pressure on South Africa's defense from the beginning by maximizing the activity of young players in Monterrey's hot and humid climate.

The most important thing to note in this tactical change is the stable maintenance of the 3-4-2-1 structure and the solidity of the defense. The three-back line consisting of Kim Min-jae, Ki-hyuk Lee, and Han-beom Lee took the center stage of the team by being named to the starting list again this time based on the organizational skills shown in the previous two games. In the midfield, Hwang In-beom and Baek Seung-ho are expected to work together to dig into South Africa's core power leakage, while Lee Tae-seok and Seol Young-woo will play as left and right wingbacks to balance offense and defense. In particular, the fact that South Africa is missing key midfielders such as Mokoena due to accumulated warnings and disciplinary action is a great opportunity for the Korean national team, and despite the variable of Sittle's return, it is highly likely that our players will have the upper hand in the midfield battle.

Captain Son Heung-min's exclusion from the selection is not just for tactical reasons, but also has great significance in terms of a change in team leadership. While Son Heung-min waits on the bench, Kim Min-jae, who plays for Bayern Munich, will take over the captain's armband and lead the team on the pitch. This can be interpreted as Coach Hong Myung-bo's firming up his philosophy to reduce 'dependence on specific players' and utilize all available resources efficiently on this important road to advancing to the tournament. Son Heung-min is expected to be deployed as a ‘joker’ in the second half of the game and be used as a strategic asset to aim for a fatal blow when the opponent’s defense is low on stamina.

The current situation facing the Korean national team is very clear and tense. The national team, which is currently recording 1 win and 1 loss, will advance to the round of 32 on its own if it wins or draws in this game against South Africa. If they take second place in their group, there is a roadmap for a clash with Canada, second place in Group B, in LA on the 29th to advance to the round of 16. However, if they lose, they may be pushed to 3rd place in their group depending on the results of the match against the Czech Republic or Mexico, or in the worst case scenario, they may be eliminated according to the winner-wins rule. Whether coach Hong Myung-bo's latest gamble will turn out to be a success and write a new legend for the round of 32 in Korean soccer, the match that kicks off at 10 a.m. today contains the hopes of all the people.