Nashville: Born in Germany to a Korean mother and a German father, midfielder Jens Castrop made his South Korean men's national team debut during his two-match trip to the United States. After playing as a second-half substitute against the U.S. on Saturday, Castrop got his first start for the Taegeuk Warriors against Mexico in Nashville, Tennessee.
According to Yonhap News Agency, though Castrop ended up playing only the first half before getting subbed out for Kim Jin-gyu, the 22-year-old expressed pride in playing for the birth country of his mother. He is the first foreign-born player of mixed heritage to play for the South Korean men's football team. "When the Korean national anthem came -- I learned it at home -- it was, of course, a proud moment for me," he said after a 2-2 draw with Mexico at Geodis Park. "I was really happy that I could make my debut."
Castrop shared that his mother was emotional while watching the game. His brother informed him that their mother "was screaming and crying in front of the TV" as she watched her son play for South Korea. "A very emotional moment for not just my mother but for my whole family," Castrop said.
Playing club football for Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga, Castrop expressed his desire to continue improving and remain in consideration for future national team call-ups. "I had some good situations today, (but) also (made) some mistakes. You can always get better," he said. "I need to train out in Germany, play good matches with Borussia and that's all I can do. My goal is that the coach nominates me again and that I can be a part of the squad as well."
Looking ahead, South Korea's next match will be in Seoul against Brazil on Oct. 10. Castrop remarked, "Of course, I would be really proud, happy to play my first match in Korea against Brazil. Such a big team. Yeah, it would be a great moment for me."