SOCCER: South Korea's Son chases history, Sojka starts for Czechs

South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo has named captain South Korea national football team forward Son Heung-min to lead the attack in Thursday’s FIFA World Cup Group A clash against the Czech Republic, while the opposition has opted for an inexperienced midfield setup featuring Alexandr Sojka.

Son starts up front and is just two goals away from equaling South Korea’s all-time scoring record of 58 international goals. He is expected to carry the main attacking threat as South Korea opens its group-stage campaign.

Playmaker Lee Kang-in also starts, coming into the match fresh after helping Paris Saint-Germain secure the UEFA Champions League title. His creativity in midfield is expected to play a key role in breaking down the Czech defense.

South Korea will be without defender Cho Yu-min, who is sidelined with a foot injury. In his absence, Bayern Munich center-back Kim Min-jae anchors the defensive line, providing stability at the back.

For the Czech Republic, forward Patrik Schick leads the attack as a lone striker. Midfielder Alexandr Sojka makes his first competitive start for the national team, while former captain Tomáš Souček returns to the midfield to provide experience and leadership.

The Czech Republic national team Czech Republic national football team will look to balance youth and experience as they face a technically strong South Korean side.

Lineups:

South Korea: Kim Seung-gyu, Lee Han-beom, Kim Min-jae, Lee Gi-hyuk, Seol Young-woo, Hwang In-beom, Lee Jae-sung, Lee Tae-seok, Lee Kang-in, Paik Seung-ho, Son Heung-min.

Czech Republic: Matej Kovar, Stepan Chaloupek, Vladimir Coufal, Robin Hranac, Ladislav Krejci, Lukas Provod, Alexandr Sojka, Tomas Soucek, Jaroslav Zeleny, Pavel Sulc, Patrik Schick.

-Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Ed Osmond, Reuters