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South Korea trained behind closed doors on Tuesday, two days before their second Group A match of the FIFA World Cup against Mexico, according to reports from Yonhap News. The session lasted about 90 minutes at the team's training facility, Chivas Verde Valle, in Zapopan, near Guadalajara in western Mexico, and the full squad was available for training, with defender Kim Tae-hyeon and midfielder Bae Jun-ho having recovered from ankle injuries.

The training came amid heightened security concerns after a drone was spotted above the training ground and intercepted by Mexican military forces. Head coach Hong Myung-bo expressed regret over the incident, which occurred during the warm-up phase of the session.

Coverage comparison

All reports on this story came from Yonhap News, South Korea's leading wire service. The coverage focused on the team's preparation, with several articles detailing the closed-door nature of the session, the injury updates on Kim and Bae, and the drone incident.

Yonhap reported that South Korea, who beat Czechia 2-1 in their opening match, were working on defensive and offensive tactics, as well as set pieces, in Tuesday's session. The team also trained behind closed doors two days before their first Group A contest, according to the report.

Earlier reports noted that South Korea returned to training on Sunday after a day off, with a focus on conditioning and tactical drills. The team was due to face Mexico at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan at 7 p.m. Thursday local time (10 a.m. Friday South Korean time).

Injury updates were a significant part of the coverage. Defender Kim Tae-hyeon had been initially feared to miss the remainder of the group stage after suffering an ankle injury during training, but later reports confirmed he would be available for the Mexico match. Midfielder Bae Jun-ho was also recovering from an ankle injury and was expected to be ready.

Key claims

  • South Korea trained behind closed doors for about 90 minutes on Tuesday at Chivas Verde Valle, working on defensive and offensive tactics and set pieces, according to Yonhap.
  • The full squad was available for training, with Kim Tae-hyeon and Bae Jun-ho having recovered from ankle injuries, as reported by Yonhap.
  • A drone appeared at the training site on Tuesday and was intercepted by Mexican military forces, per Yonhap. Two men believed to be the operators fled the scene before they could be caught, and the Korea Football Association has asked local police to investigate and notified FIFA.
  • Head coach Hong Myung-bo expressed regret over the drone incident, saying it was unfortunate that it happened at such a critical juncture in preparation, as reported by Yonhap.
  • Hwang In-beom, who was named Player of the Match in the win over Czechia, said he expects Mexico to pay attention to him and expressed confidence in his team's abilities, according to Yonhap.
  • South Korea could become the first team to win their group at this year's World Cup by beating Mexico and getting help from other teams, as reported by Yonhap.
  • The winner of the match between South Korea and Mexico would be in prime position to advance as group winners, with both teams on three points entering the game, according to Yonhap.

Perspectives

South Korea national team (via head coach Hong Myung-bo and midfielder Hwang In-beom): The team expressed regret over the drone incident but downplayed its impact, noting the tactical work was unaffected. Hwang welcomed the attention from Mexico, stating that other players would capitalize on opportunities if the focus was on him, and emphasized the team's confidence in executing their plans.

Korea Football Association (KFA) officials: Provided operational details about the training session and the drone incident, confirming the security response and the team's focus on set pieces and tactics.