In the World Baseball Classic (WBC), the first Korea-Japan match in 14 years, all the brilliant star players are on the move.

Korea and Japan are always regarded as the fiercest rivals in international sports competitions. In baseball, many famous scenes came out in the Korea-Japan match. However, in the WBC, the Korea-Japan match did not happen for a while. This is because Korea and Japan were both placed in different groups in the two tournaments since they met in the final in 2009, and Korea failed to advance to the final tournament in a row. However, at the WBC to be held in March, both Korea and Japan were placed in Group B, and the match between Korea and Japan took place for the first time in 14 years. On March 10th, South Korea and Japan will face each other.

Both Korea and Japan formed top-notch national teams for this tournament. In particular, Korea’s infield and Japan’s outfield were filled with major league players, creating a super luxurious lineup.

For the first time, Korea selected Korean-American major league player Tommy Edman (St. Louis) as its national team. Edmund, who is active as the main second baseman in St. Louis, boasts top-notch defense that won the 2021 National League Second Baseman Gold Glove. Last year, he even made it to the finalist for the second baseman’s Gold Glove.

The shortstop will be Kim Ha-seong (San Diego). Kim Ha-seong, who spent his second year in the major leagues last year, took over as the starting shortstop when Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego) could not play a single game due to an injury and an 80-game suspension. After the season, he was a finalist for the National League Shortstop Gold Glove Award, recognized for his outstanding defensive skills.

The Keystone combination of Edmon and Ha-Sung Kim can be seen as superior to any other team in the WBC in terms of defense alone. In Japan, the Korean national team is most wary of the Keystone combination.

There is a high possibility that Choi Ji-man바카라사이트 will be the first baseman. He underwent elbow surgery in November of last year and was traded to Pittsburgh, so he needs permission from the club, but the player himself has a strong will to play. Coach Lee Kang-cheol also said, “I really want to bring him,” and looked forward to Choi Ji-man joining the national team.

For the first time in Japan, Japanese major league player Lars Nutba (St. Louis) joined the national team. Japanese media reported on the 11th that Nutba would officially participate in the Japanese national team.

With Nutba coming in, Japan has been able to compose all major league players in the outfield. Nutba will play center field, Seiya Suzuki (Cubs) in right field, and Masataka Yoshida (Boston) in left field.

In Japan, Shohei Ohtani (Angels) and Yu Darvish (San Diego), who are active in the major leagues, joined not only the outfield but also the pitching staff. Regarding Korea, it is regrettable that Ryu Hyun-jin (Toronto) cannot compete as he is undergoing rehabilitation after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Manager Lee Kang-cheol revealed his plan to focus on the first game, Australia, rather than Japan. If they are aiming to advance to the quarter-final tournament, securing second place in their group is important, so it is important to make sure they catch Australia, the dark horse.

However, we cannot neglect our fateful rival, the game against Japan. Coach Lee Kang-cheol also said, “Once we beat Australia, we will be a formidable opponent. I will try to make a fun match,” he said, burning his will against Japan. Fans have high expectations of what kind of match will be played in the WBC Korea-Japan match, which was concluded in 14 years.