Injured defender replaced on Olympic football team

SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Sunday replaced an injured defender on their Olympic football squad.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said center back Song Ju-hun was dropped from South Korea's 18-man roster for the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games and has been replaced by defensive midfielder Kim Min-tae. The KFA said Song, who plays with Japanese second division club Mito HollyHock, injured his left toe during the J2 League match on Saturday.

Song has been a key defender for South Korea which will make their eighth consecutive Olympic appearance. He played 23 matches with the Olympic football team led by head coach Shin Tae-yong.

Kim was one of the four reserve members for the South Korean Olympic football team that was announced last Thursday. The 22-year-old, who is with Japanese first-tier club Vegalta Sendai, played 10 matches for South Korean U-23 team.

The South Korean squad will depart for Sao Paulo on Monday to set up camp there, and will face Iraq on July 25 and then Sweden five days later in final tune-up matches.

South Korea, which is in Group C at the men's Olympic football tournament of 16 nations, will open their campaign against Fiji on Aug. 4 in Salvador and will face Germany three days later, also in Salvador. The group final will be against Mexico on Aug. 10 in Brasilia.

kdon@yna.co.kr
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