Soccer-South Korea's Son chases history, Sojka starts for Czechs


Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - South Korea Press Conference - Estadio Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico - June 10, 2026 South Korea's Son Heung-min during the press conference REUTERS/Paul Childs

June 12 (Reuters) - South ⁠Korea coach Hong Myung-bo named Son Heung-min ⁠to lead the attack against the ‌Czech Republic in Thursday’s World Cup Group A clash, while their opponents have selected the inexperienced Alexandr Sojka in ​midfield.

• Son starts up front ⁠for South Korea ⁠and is two shy of his country's all-time scoring ⁠record ‌of 58 goals.

• Playmaker Lee Kang-in also starts fresh from helping Paris ⁠St Germain to the Champions League ​title.

• Defender ‌Cho Yu-min is ruled out with a foot ⁠injury, ​with Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae anchoring the back three.

• Patrik Schick will be a lone striker ⁠for the Czech Republic.

• Midfielder ​Alexandr Sojka makes a first competitive start for the Czechs.

• Former captain Tomas Soucek gets the ⁠nod in the midfield. Lineups:South Korea: Kim Seung-Gyu, Lee Han-Beom, Kim Min-Jae, Lee Gi-Hyuk, Seol Young-Woo, Hwang In-Beom, Lee Jae-Sung, Lee Tae-Seok, Lee ​Kang-In, Paik Seung-Ho, Son Heung-Min.Czech ⁠Republic: Matej Kovar, Stepan Chaloupek, Vladimir Coufal, Robin ​Hranac, Ladislav Krejci, Lukas ‌Provod, Alexandr Sojka, Tomas Soucek, ​Jaroslav Zeleny, Pavel Sulc, Patrik Schick.

(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Others Also Read