South Korea World Cup Roster, Prediction: How Will Taegeuk Warriors Perform At Russia 2018?

After their stellar and unexpected fourth-place finish in 2002, South Korea have failed to generate much success at the World Cup. When Shin Tae-Yong's squad takes the field at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Monday against Sweden, they will once again be a heavy underdog in among the toughest groups in the tournament.

Inconsistent form has dogged South Korea leading up to Russia 2018, prompting oddsmakers to list them as +1600 longshots to win Group F and a +350 longshot to advance to the Round of 16. Overall, South Korea have 500/1 odds to win the tournament, tied for the second-worst in the 32-nation tournament.

Things immediately looked bleak for South Korea after being drawn with not only Sweden, but also Mexico and tournament favorites Germany. While Sweden are also a longshot at 150/1 odds, it should be a tough task for South Korea to come away with a victory.

But this is the ninth-straight time that South Korea has reached the World Cup and they boast an experienced and in-form forward in Son Heung-Min. The 25-year-old scored 18 goals across all competitions for Tottenham in 2017-18 and has 21 goals in 67 appearances for South Korea.

South Korea's attack will mostly rest on Son, who before joining Spurs in 2015 was a productive contributor for Hamburger and Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Son seems to be up to the challenge and knows that a lot is riding on him this week.

"I feel great when people say good things about me but what's important is that I have to show it on the pitch. I know lots of people's expectations are on me, so I also feel a responsibility," Son told reporters this week.

While Son is crucial to South Korea's success, other members of the squad could also provide a lift. Captain Ki Sung-Yueng has been an invaluable member of Swansea City and is the most experienced player on the South Korean squad. He has 102 caps since making his debut with the national team in 2008.

The 29-year-old central midfielder will need to keep South Korea cohesive, something that they seemed to lack in the run up to Russia. Ki is joined in the midfield by Augsburg star Koo Ja-Cheol, who has scored 19 goals in 68 caps with South Korea.

South Korea's reasonable objective is to somehow manage a win over Sweden and then hope for draws against Mexico on Saturday and Germany on June 27. Five points would probably be enough to advance to the knockout stage.

But the attack could be a problem, as South Korea have scored just one goal in the three matches leading up to the World Cup. They fell to Senegal, 2-0, and had a scoreless result with Bolivia. But the worst defeat was a home loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3-1, in Jeonju. In World Cup qualifying, South Korea settled for scoreless results with Uzbekistan and Iran in their last two matches.

Prediction: South Korea can perhaps give Sweden and Mexico some problems, but they can expect a loss to Germany. Don't be surprised if they come away with a point or two, which might be a moral victory but it will certainly mean a quiet flight back to Seoul after another disappointing run.

23-Man World Cup Roster

Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-Gyu (Vissel Kobe), Kim Jin-Hyeon (Cerezo Osaka), Cho Hyun-Woo (Daegu FC)

Defenders: Kim Young-Gwonn (Guangzhou Evergrande), Jang Hyun-Soo (FC Tokyo), Jung Seung-Hyun (Sagan Tosu), Yun Yong-Sun (Seongnam FC), Oh Ban-Suk (Jeju United), Kim Min-Woo (Sangju Sangmu), Park Joo-Ho (Ulsan Hyundai), Hong Chul (Sangju Sangmu), Go Yo-Han (FC Seoul), Lee Yong (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)

Midfielders: Ki Sung-Yueng (Swansea City), Jung Woo-Young (Vissel Kobe), Ju Se-Jong (Asan Mugunghwa FC), Koo Ja-Cheol (FC Augsburg), Lee Jae-Sung (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Lee Seung-Woo (Hellas Verona), Moon Seon-Min (Incheon United)

Forwards: Kim Shin-Wook (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur), Hwang Hee-Chan (FC Red Bull Salzburg)