By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) — South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said Sunday he will use the upcoming regional football tournament on home soil to test new faces on defense.
South Korea will take on China, Hong Kong and Japan at the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Football Championship, starting Monday. Since the EAFF tournament isn’t on FIFA’s official international match calendar, clubs were under no obligation to release their players for this window — leaving the participating countries to rely heavily on their domestic leagues to fill out their squads.
For Hong’s 26-man squad, 23 players come from the K League 1. In the days leading up to the event, Hong has repeatedly said the EAFF event will be an opportunity to test new players with the FIFA World Cup less than a year away.
Players and head coaches for the teams competing at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship pose for photos after their press conference at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on July 6, 2025. From left: China head coach Dejan Djurdjevic and forward Zhang Yuning; South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo and defender Park Jin-seob; Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu and defender Yuto Nagatomo; and Hong Kong head coach Ashley Westwood and defender Lee Ka Ho. (Yonhap)
At his pretournament press conference Sunday, Hong specifically said he was looking forward to experimenting with different combinations on defense.
Of the 10 South Korean defenders here, five of them have no prior experience with the senior national team.
“For our defense, I’ve selected some young players who have a chance to play at the World Cup next year,” Hong said at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, some 40 kilometers south of Seoul and the venue for all three South Korean matches. “How these players grow during this tournament and over the next year until the World Cup will be a crucial point for the national team. I think this tournament will be a great opportunity to evaluate our defenders comprehensively.”
For the defense corps, Park Jin-seob will be the senior voice at age 29 with six caps under his belt. Named vice captain for this tournament, Park said the players are trying to make the most of their opportunity.
“I think we will all try our best to capitalize on this chance and put on good performances,” Park said. “Our objective is to win every match and win the trophy.”
South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo speaks during a press conference ahead of the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on July 6, 2025. (Yonhap)
South Korea check in at No. 23 in the latest FIFA rankings, behind only the 15th-ranked Japan in this tournament. China (93rd) and Hong Kong (153rd) will be heavy underdogs.
But Hong insisted there won’t be any easy match.
“Each team here is in a different situation, and I think it will be an important competition for everyone both in terms of the present and the future,” Hong said. “This will not be an easy tournament for us, but we will try to overcome our challenges and deliver good results.”
Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu said even though he has different players on hand than during the recent Asian World Cup qualifiers, given the absence of his Europe-based veterans, the objective for his team hasn’t changed.
“We will play each match to win. The experience in this tournament will make my team and my players better,” he said. “I’d like my players who will be in this tournament to improve themselves for the World Cup next year.”
Yuto Nagatomo, the oldest Japanese player here at 38, said he will try to lead the dozen new national team players by example.
South Korea defender Park Jin-seob speaks during a press conference ahead of the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on July 6, 2025. (Yonhap)
“The Japan team has a lot of players in Europe, and they are the core members. But we have good players in the domestic league as well. We’d like to show our abilities,” the FC Tokyo defender said. “I’d like to share my experience with the young players and show them my playing style.”
Dejan Djurdjevic, head coach for China, also has several international rookies on hand and said the goal is to “perform as well as possible.”
Chinese forward Zhang Yuning said his team is in the midst of transition, with some older players having retired from international play, and the EAFF event will be a chance for a fresh start.
“Our goal is definitely to reform our team,” the 28-year-old said. “We have many old players that have quit the national team, and many new players have joined us. This is a very good chance to learn each other and to understand what the head coach’s plans are. I will also help new players become good national team players as soon as possible.”
Hong Kong’s Ashley Westwood said he doesn’t have “too much expectation” at the EAFF tournament, given the discrepancy in talent levels between his team and the rest.
“We have nothing to lose,” he said. “We’re just going to relish and enjoy testing ourselves against some elite sides in Asia.”
His defender Lee Ka Ho, about to make his international debut at age 32, said he will try to enjoy the experience but also play well so that “I can return to the national team next time.”
“We’re up against some good opposition for high-intensity matches,” he said. “We will use them as our preparation for the Asian Cup qualifiers.”
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