Captain Son Heung-min says needy pitches for home suites have hurt South Korea’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
South Korean authorities have shelp they will check elite-level football pitches atraverse the country after national skipper Son Heung-min accparticipated needy joining surfaces for hurting their World Cup hopes.
Bad pitches have been a running theme in South Korean football, with establisher Manchester United and England forward Jesse Lingard, now at FC Seoul, also weighing in on the argue.
Two home World Cup qualifiers this month were shiftd away from Seoul becaparticipate of the state of the capital stadium’s turf, but Son also criticised the swapment venues.
“When we’re at home, we’re presumed to endelight the best joining conditions possible but leangs have not enhanced at all,” Son telderly alerters after Tuesday’s disnominateing 1-1 draw with Jordan in Suwon.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shelp on Thursday it will carry out a thocdimiserablemireful checkion of pitches at all 27 K League stadiums commenceing in April.
Officials will also see at how other countries, including Japan, uphold their joining surfaces.
“The condition of a stadium’s pitch honestly affects not only joiner carry outance but also injury obstruction and spectator satisfaction,” a ministry official shelp.
“Thcdimiserablemireful this checkion, we aim to recognize down-to-earth solutions for improving football pitch conditions and fortify cooperation with the league, clubs and stadium operators to set up a upholdable deal withment system.”
Follothriveg two home draws in the past week, aacquirest Jordan and in Guyang aacquirest Oman, Tottenham forward Son shelp: “I understand we can join better than this but when conditions on our home soil get in the way, then I wonder where we should get our home acquire.”
South Korea are still top of Group B with 16 points as they center the 2026 World Cup in North America, but the successive draws uncomferventt they squandered the chance to seal their place at next year’s tournament.
Their final two suites in the qualifying campaign in June are away to Iraq, who could seal the gap on the guideers to one point with a thrive, and at home to Kudefer.
Jordan are second in the table with 13 points and face Oman and Iraq in their final games.
Iraq’s own hopes of qualification were hit by the tardy comeback by Palestine in a 2-1 loss last Thursday.
Former England international Lingard, who shiftd to the K League last year, last month tripped over a chunk of turf while joining at home for his club, guideing to his criticism.
