Attention is focusing on how Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the national soccer team, will use Bae Joon-ho (21, Stoke City) on the stage to mark the end of the two consecutive A matches in October

This is because the player, who was only considered the future of Korean soccer, immediately went beyond his power and showed off his talent in various positions.메이저놀이터

The national soccer team, led by head coach Hong, will face Iraq in the fourth Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Mir Stadium in Yongin on the 15th.

If South Korea (2 wins, 1 draw, goal difference +4), which rose to the lead in Group B with a 2-0 victory over Jordan on the 10th, beats Iraq (2 wins, 1 draw, goal difference +2), it will be able to dominate the competition for the finals. If you look at the FIFA rankings, Iraq is considered the last crisis in that it boasts 55th place, the second highest after South Korea (23rd).

The biggest concern for Team Korea, which has brought Iraq to its home turf, is the absence of the left wing. "Captain" Son Heung-min (32) of Tottenham Hotspur, Hwang Hee-chan (28) of Wolverhampton, and Um Ji-sung (22) of Swansea City have all been sidelined due to injuries. It is fortunate that Bae Jun-ho, who received attention by leading the team to the semifinals of the U-20 World Cup last year, showed his presence in the match against Jordan. Bae was substituted in the third minute of the second half and helped Oh Hyun-kyu (23) of Genk score an additional goal in the 23rd minute of the second half, leading the team to a 2-0 victory.

Bae's biggest advantage as a left-winger is that he dribbles one-on-one. If he catches a pass connected from the rear, the opponent team's defense will break through in an unstoppable direction. As he overcame his somewhat rugged weakness of ball touch when he was a student, his dribbling became more sophisticated. According to sports statistics firm Opta, Bae only dribbled successfully per game in the English Championship (division 2) from 1.35 in the 2023-2024 season, but his dribbling success rate increased to 2.59 in the 2024-2025 season, nearly doubling. His dribbling success rate improved from 41.86 percent to 60.71 percent. Bae contributed to his victory in the match against Jordan, by dribbling both times.

It is even more interesting that Bae Jun-ho's performance was not limited to the left. Whenever Bae Jun-ho moved to the center instead of Lee Jae-sung (32, Mainz), the tempo of the entire team increased according to the flow of the game. It was the effect of his fast forwarding of the ball. Bae Jun-ho played his part not only in the left wing but also in the center because his original position was an attacking midfielder when he was in school. As he first stepped on the adult stage, he changed his position to the left wing, which is relatively weak in check, for a soft landing.

However, Bae has become a multiplayer who moves between left and center as his ball touch has become simpler. Considering that right-handed Bae is not good at crosses (0.61 successful crosses, 22.2 percent success rate), some suggest that he should contribute to creating chances as an offensive midfielder.

It is time for Hong to think about where to deploy Bae as he draws up the starting lineup for the match against Iraq. It is highly likely that Hong will use Bae as the starting member as there are not many proven left wingers, but Lee Jae-sung, who was originally considered as Son's plan B, can also play as the left side. If Bae changes his position with Lee Kang-in (23, Paris Saint-Germain), who is from the center to the left or right, the opposing defense could also be in turmoil.

Coach Hong's research on Bae's various uses is not an immediate achievement, but a paving the way for the finals of the North-China World Cup. "Bae Jun-ho is a resource for the future that he will use two or three years from now," Hong said. "His team is doing so well, and it is important to see the future of Korean soccer to move on to a strategy that allows him to win in the national team."