Will Lee Kang-in (22, PSG) be able to break down Kyrgyzstan’s defense?
The Korean Asian Games national football team, led by coach Hwang Seon-hong, will face Kyrgyzstan in the round of 16 at Jinhua Sports Center Stadium in China at 8:30 pm (hereinafter Korean time) on the 27th.
Hwang Seon-hong passed the group stage most successfully among participating countries in the Asian Games. They won 9-0 over Kuwait in the first game, 4-0 over Thailand in the second game, and even beat Bahrain 3-0 in the third game, having already secured first place in the group.
Korea showed perfect offense and defense balance, scoring 16 points and conceding 0 goals in 3 games.
Korea played without ‘ace’ Lee Kang-in in the first and second games. However, 13 goals were scored. Jung Woo-young and Cho Young-wook scored a hat trick and multiple goals in the first game, while Baek Seung-ho, Eom Won-sang, Park Jae-yong, Hong Hyun-seok, Eom Won-sang, and Lee Jae-ik scored goals. Jaejun Ahn also scored goals in two consecutive games.
Lee Kang-in, who joined team training on the 23rd, began team training in earnest on the 25th.
Lee Kang-in, who joined the powerful offensive team, immediately started as a starter against Bahrain and played on the pitch for about 30 minutes.
Lee Kang-in drew a foul in a good position in the 2nd and 4th minutes of the first half, giving him a free kick opportunity, and also created a threatening chance for Jung Woo-young and Park Gyu-hyun with a sharp pass.먹튀검증
Lee Kang-in is a player with many abilities, so there are a variety of positions he can play. He played a variety of positions at his team RCD Mallorca last season, including wing forward on both sides, central attacking midfielder, second striker, and central midfielder.
In particular, in Mallorca, he played on the left wing and scored an attack point with a sharp cross towards striker Vedat Muriki. For the national team led by coach Jurgen Klinsmann, he also played on the right wing and showed off his sharp left-footed shooting. It’s a long time ago, but in the 2019 U-20 World Cup, Jeong Jeong Yong-ho took charge of the free roll and made plays in all areas of the attack.
Lee Kang-in has the ability to play according to coach Hwang Seon-hong’s tastes.
After the Bahrain match, I asked Coach Hwang how he would use Lee Kang-in. Director Hwang said he would allow Lee Kang-in to freely show off his creative abilities on the field, saying, “Rather than being confined by a framework, be free.”
Of course, coach Hwang Seon-hong later added, “I’m thinking about playing positions a lot depending on the situation,” but there is a possibility that coach Hwang will use Lee Kang-in as a decisive chance maker to break down Kyrgyzstan, which is likely to fall against Korea and lead the team to a one-goal game. This is big.
It is difficult to score against an opponent who is determined, works hard on defense, and is looking for a decisive shot. Even teams like Manchester City and FC Barcelona, the top clubs in Europe, sometimes end up with a 0-0 draw against teams that use these tactics, even if they attack for the entire 90 minutes.
In situations like this, a midfielder with extraordinary creativity is essential. We need resources that can accurately exploit the loopholes that a solidly defending opponent allows for a moment. And director Hwang Seon-hong is likely to entrust this role to Lee Kang-in.