‘Continuity, continuity, continuity’… Klinsmann assembles elite ahead of underdog Singapore-China clash

National Football Team head coach Jürgen Klinsmann has emphasized “continuity” and “continuity” ahead of the Asian Cup in Qatar next January.

Klinsmann named a 23-man squad on Saturday for two matches against Singapore (home) and China (away) in the second round of Asian qualifiers for the FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026 on Sept. 16 and 21, respectively. Goalkeeper Song Bum-geun (Shonan Belmare) returns to the squad after a five-month absence, while center back Kim Joo-sung (FC Seoul), who was called up for two A matches (Tunisia-Vietnam) last month, remains unchanged.

Captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham) is back, as is the usual suspect, along with big leaguers Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton).

Even though the team is facing a World Cup second qualifier against an opponent one or two levels below them, Klinsmann is focused on building internal cohesion for the Asian Cup. During last month’s call-up, Son Heung-min struggled with a groin injury, but Klinsmann cited the value of a leader’s presence and said that continuing to build the team’s culture is enough to keep them going. 보스토토 도메인

No matter how weak the team is, it is also important to use the elite members against opponents with different styles in view of the Asian Cup. Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Kang-in, and others were also used in the 6-0 victory over Vietnam on March 17.

The team will convene at a hotel in Seoul on the afternoon of the 13th and train at Mokdong Sports Complex. Three days later, they will take on Singapore in a Seoul World Cup match at 8 p.m. before flying to China on the 19th. The match against China on the 21st will be played at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen at 9pm ET. Once again, the team is expected to send out its full squad.