S. Korea must avoid taking fouls in football quarters: captain

Published : Aug 13, 2016 - 11:28 Updated : Aug 13, 2016 - 11:50

On the eve of South Korea's Olympic football quarterfinals against Honduras, captain Jang Hyun-soo said his players must avoid taking unnecessary fouls.

Jang and the rest of the team got their last practice in behind the closed doors in Belo Horizonte, some 340 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro, the host of the ongoing Summer Games.

The match kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Mineirao.

Korea National Football Team (Yonhap)

After the practice, Jang told reporters that he and his teammates must not engage their opponents in mind games.

When told Honduras players tend to embellish hard contact and sell fouls to referees, Jang said it was important not to get caught up in it.

"We must not play into their hands," Jang said. "We have to worry about their speed instead. And we have to pay close attention to spacing on defense."

Jang said South Korea are an offense-minded team, and when the forwards are on the attack, he and the defensive corps must ensure proper positioning.

South Korea have reached the quarterfinals for the second consecutive Olympics. They won bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

"We won our group to reach the final eight," Jang said. "And we'll try to make it to the semifinals for the second straight Olympics, too."

South Korea and Honduras met in June this year in a friendly match in South Korea, and had a 2-2 draw.

In that match, Antony Lozano scored both goals. He also has two goals in the Olympics.

"Honduras have creative players with great individual skills," South Korea coach Shin Tae-yong said, "We have to be prepared for it and we'll win that match."

(Yonhap)