National soccer team’s first ‘shuttle run’ test
Collecting data on players’ heart rates and more
Son Heung-min focuses on regaining fitness indoors
He won’t play against Tunisia tomorrow
The Paju National Training Center (NFC) was bustling with activity on the 11th as the South Korean national team prepared for their October A match.
A large loudspeaker appeared and took up residence in a corner, and the players lined up and sighed. Then they ran in unison to the electronic sound. It was the shuttle run test, which athletes call the “dreaded beep”. The drill, which involves running 40 meters in 10-second bursts, is still popular for its ability to test the strength, agility, and stamina needed to play soccer.
But it’s also a test that athletes are reluctant to do because it pushes them to their physical limits. As a result, some players have been spotted trying to outrun other players by running one step ahead of them.
“It’s the first beep under Jürgen Klinsmann,” said an official from the Korea Football Association, “and he wants to collect various physical data from the players, like a gym, and today was the shuttle test.”
Shuttle tests are often held in the run-up to a big competition. It’s also a way to unite domestic and European players at different stages of the season.
The good news for the athletes is that the shuttle test was abbreviated to prepare them for the trials.
Physical coach Jaehong Lee and physical coach Werner Reutard completed 25 reps of the drill, which normally takes more than 100.
The athletes were not pushed to the limits of their fitness as they were able to track their heart rate changes through the GPS devices they wore in their training suits, according to the federation. What matters is how quickly they return to their normal heart rate after running the same distance.
Klinsmann will likely use the data to prepare for the two October A matches (Tunisia on Oct. 13 and Vietnam on Oct. 17) and the Asian Cup next January.
However, there is one exception to Klinsmann’s data. ‘Captain’ Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham) was left out of the shuttle test. He hasn’t been fully fit this season, and his club have been taking great care to manage his playing time.바카라사이트
Since joining the squad on September 9, he has been working out with coach Reutard instead of training with the team. Today, he stayed indoors for a massage and focused on his recovery. His participation in the match against Tunisia on Sept. 13 is currently unpredictable against Klinsmann’s wishes.
“It’s not that he’s in pain or has a sore spot,” said an association official, “but the team doctor will make a final decision on his participation in the Tunisia match after a final check.”