(LEAD) Players at center of friction controversy called up for men's football friendlies

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; ADDS comments, details in paras 7-11)

CHEONAN, South Korea, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- All principal figures caught in the controversy surrounding apparent friction on the men's national football team were selected Thursday for upcoming friendly matches.

Robert Moreno, temporary head coach for the Taegeuk Warriors, named his 26-man squad for matches against Saudi Arabia on Nov. 13 and Qatar on Nov. 17 -- both set to take place in Doha.

The list included defender Kim Min-jae, midfielder Hwang In-beom and winger Hwang Hee-chan. This trio reportedly told their teammates they wanted to retire from international play after South Korea's most recent match against Uzbekistan on Oct. 6, apparently out of frustration with the team's longtime captain Son Heung-min.

Son is also back on the team. During a press conference at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, some 80 kilometers south of Seoul, Moreno confirmed the 34-year-old Son will continue to serve as captain.

Moreno also said he has spoken with all the players and made his squad decisions based solely on their performances and what they can bring to the national team.

"Every player on this list was selected because they are ready to dedicate themselves to the national team and the country," Moreno said. "If I had any doubt about that with any player, then I would not have chosen that player. Ultimately, everyone wants the same goal. We want to assemble a competitive national team and be prepared to win as many matches possible."

The incident after the Uzbekistan match led to the spread of unsubstantiated speculation on social media, with one group of fans backing Son and older players and another siding with a younger group and calling on Son to step aside. It even prompted the Korea Football Association (KFA) to issue a statement urging fans to refrain from mounting personal attacks on players.

Asked if he had any message for fans against this backdrop, Moreno said, "I am not here to ask for any favor or plead with anyone. I am here to put together the best team possible on the field so that we can bring happiness to our fans. Our job is to focus on things we can control."

Moreno said he believed a lot of problems can be resolved when people have face-to-face conversations.

"Even on great teams, there will always be different opinions," he said. "The important thing is how we can overcome those differences. Ultimately, the goal is to bring joy to our fans with our performance."

The squad features two first-time selections in Gangwon FC defender Shin Min-ha and FC Seoul midfielder Son Jeong-beom. At 19, Son is also the youngest member of the team.

The next two will be the fifth and sixth matches for Moreno, who was appointed in early September and is signed through Nov. 27. In the four earlier matches, South Korea defeated Ecuador 3-0 on Sept. 24 before losing to Uruguay 4-1 four days later. It was followed by a goalless draw against Venezuela on Oct. 2, and then South Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0 on Oct. 6.

The Korea Football Association has said depending on South Korea's results in these six matches, it will consider retaining the Spanish tactician through the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup, scheduled to kick off in January.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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