Korean players arrive in Mexico base camp ahead of World Cup

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — The Korean men's national football team arrived in their FIFA World Cup base camp in Mexico on Friday, six days before their first group stage match. Coached by Hong Myung-bo, Korea checked into the Westin Guadalajara in the Mexican city of Guadalajara around 4 p.m. Friday, greeted by dozens of fans. Korean fans and local residents alike gathered around the entrance hours before the team's arrival. Others lined up in the balcony of Expo Guadalajara, a convention center standing next to the hotel. They shouted words of encouragement and screamed out players' names as the athletes stepped off the team bus. Captain Son Heung-min was the last to leave the bus and drew the loudest cheers, though neither Son nor his teammates stopped to sign autographs or accept gifts from fans. Korea had been in the U.S. state of Utah for the past three weeks for altitude training. The Taegeuk Warriors are scheduled to play two of their three Group A matches in Guadalajara, also a high city about 1,500 meters above sea level, and Hong said recently he was pleased with the way his playeWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times