Baek Seung-ho, good performance after entering the England stage
Reunited With Coach Hwang Sun-hong After Gold Medal At 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games
Baek Seung-ho (26, Birmingham City), the captain of South Korea at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games last year, met with Hwang Sun-hong again. He moved from the national team to the national team for the Asian Games and reunited. Attention is focusing on whether Baek, who returned as the commander of the national team’s midfield, will be able to play in the third match of the second Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Thailand that will take place at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sunday.
Baek Seung-ho took on a new challenge last winter. He moved to Birmingham City in the English Championship. Having grown up from FC Barcelona Youth in the Spanish Primera Liga, he played for Girona and Darmstadt in the German Bundesliga, but has now advanced into Europe again. After finishing the K-League season, he flew to England and joined Birmingham.
Immediately, he played in the game and settled down. He made his debut five days after his transfer was confirmed. He occupied one of Birmingham’s double volanche, which mainly uses 4-2-3-1. He displayed impressive performance as a substitute for two consecutive matches, making a leap to the starting lineup. He played well as a link between offense and defense, and assisted his teammates by kicking accurate in set piece attacks. He occasionally hit powerful mid-range shots, contributing to his team’s offense.
He has already played in 10 games in Birmingham. In the last three games, he started full-time. He has been a solid starting member of his team. Although Birmingham was in 21st place due to poor performance and is on the verge of falling into the relegation zone (22nd-24th), Baek Seung-ho’s presence is brightening. He immediately successfully adapted to his European experiences and became the mainstay of his team.
He was summoned to the Korean national team based on his good performance in the Birmingham game. He was invited by Hwang Sun-hong, the team’s interim coach. He is included in the list of players who will play in the two consecutive games (home on June 21 and away on June 26) against Thailand. He is engaged in a position battle with his seniors and juniors, and is awaiting orders to play in the match against Thailand.
Coach Hwang is expected to draw a 4-2-3-1 formation against Thailand. He is not expected to make a big change to the basics that Klinsmann used at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar. Hwang In-beom, Hong Hyun-suk, Park Jin-seop, and Baek Seung-ho are considered candidates for the double bolanche to defend the midfield. Hwang In-beom will be seen as a clear starting member, and Baek Seung-ho can take a chance. Attention is focusing on whether Hwang will bring up the Hwang In-beom-Baek Seung-ho card as a midfielder combination to win the match against Thailand.