[Yonhap News Photo]
NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia -- South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong said he doesn't feel pressured or nervous ahead of his team's first match, against Sweden, at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
South Korea and Sweden will open their 2018 World Cup campaign at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, some 425 kilometers east of Moscow, on Monday. Both teams are in Group F, along with Mexico and Germany.
Shin has been saying that South Korea are "all-in" for the match against Sweden because failing to get a positive result in the first match would mean the team would have little hope of making the round of 16, considering next two opponents are thought to be stronger than Sweden.
Although their most important match is just one day away, Shin said he just feels numb going to South Korea's first match. "We'll just prepare as we've been doing," Shin said at a press conference. "I've experienced the U-20 World Cup and the Olympics. Although this is my first World Cup, I don't feel any pressure or nerves."
Shin emphasized that his team will go for victory, not a draw. "I think both teams are thinking that tomorrow's match is a must-win," he said. "I know fans in our country are sarcastic, but inside, in their hearts, I believe they're really supporting us to get a win."
It is expected that Swedish fans will vastly outnumber South Korean supporters at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, but Shin said his players can handle the atmosphere. "Our players played big matches with their clubs in the past, so I'm not worried about that," he said. "If the players think that Swedish fans are also our fans, there can be no worries."
Shin has been keeping secret his lineup against Sweden, using different lineups in each of their World Cup tuneups. To confuse opponents, South Korean players had different jersey numbers in each World Cup tuneup match.
"I heard that Western people don't recognize Asian people's faces at once, so that was my little trick to confuse the opponents," he said. "I will not mention our game plans because I want Sweden to think about us until the last minute."
(Yonhap)
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
