Away Atmosphere Expected... Hong Myung-bo's Squad Completes Preparations by Adapting to the Stadium for Mexico Match

The national football team training at Geodis Park in Nashville on the 9th (Korean time) [Photo by Choi Song-ah]

The national football team, facing a strong opponent Mexico in a match that is expected to have a true "away" atmosphere, has completed its preparations by adapting to the stadium.

The national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, held its official training session on the 9th (Korean time) at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, ahead of the friendly match against Mexico.

The team will play a friendly match against Mexico at this stadium on the 10th at 10:30 AM.

This is the second match in the September international window, following the game against the United States held in Harrison, New Jersey, on the 7th. Hong Myung-bo's squad aims for a second consecutive victory after their decisive 2-0 win against the US.

After playing the US, the team immediately traveled to Nashville by charter plane. The previous day, they held a recovery and training session at the training ground of Major League Soccer (MLS) team Nashville SC. The day before the match, they stepped onto the stadium pitch to adapt.

Players of the national football team, including Son Heung-min, training at Geodis Park in Nashville [Photo by Choi Song-ah]

Midfielder Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) was sidelined due to a hamstring injury sustained during the match against the United States and has returned to Germany to join his club without a replacement player being called up. The remaining 25-member squad revealed the first 15 minutes of their training to the media before focusing on refining their tactics in the final session.

Geodis Park, where the match will be held, is a soccer-specific stadium with a capacity of 30,000 seats. It is the home ground for Nashville SC and is also used as a concert venue.

While the match against the United States, held in New Jersey with a large Korean diaspora, had an overwhelming cheering atmosphere akin to the Seoul World Cup Stadium, making it feel like a "home" game, this match is anticipated to be a true away game for the Taegeuk Warriors.

Nashville is classified as an area with a high proportion of Mexican immigrants among its immigrant population, especially in the southern US region where there are many Mexican immigrants.

The national football team begins training at Geodis Park in Nashville [Photo by Choi Song-ah]

A team official stated that Mexico's choice of this venue, which is hosting the match, appears to have been made with their own fans in mind.

At the official press conference on the same day, head coach Hong Myung-bo said, "We expect many Mexican fans to attend, so we anticipate a difficult away game experience. I believe it will be a valuable experience," adding, "Young players will be able to gain experience playing away games against strong teams."

This match was initially scheduled to start at 10:00 AM on the 10th, but it has been postponed by 30 minutes to 10:30 AM. It is understood that the Mexican side adjusted the time considering spectator entry and broadcast schedules.

The Mexican national team, led by coach Javier Aguirre, also held a closed training session to prepare for the match after a portion was revealed to the media, similar to the Korean national team's training earlier that day.