After winning gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the ‘Golden Boys’ have a newfound energy on the soccer A team.
The Korean Asian Games soccer team, led by head coach Hwang Sun-hong, went 7-0 in Hangzhou, a perfect record. Four “wild cards” – Seol Young-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Hong Hyun-seok (Ghent), and Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart) – were immediately called up to the A team.
The four ‘winners’ literally exploded onto the scene at the Asian Games. Jung led the offense, scoring eight goals on his own. He was also named the Most Valuable Player. Lee Kang-in was an “overwhelming presence” on the field. Hong Hyun-seok was the “heart” of Korea’s defense with his lively movements and clever left-footed kicks. Seol Young-woo was a ‘big brother’ and embraced his younger siblings off the field.
He also continued to perform well for the A team. All four Golden Boys took the field against Tunisia at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Nov. 13. ‘Ace’ Lee Kang-in scored back-to-back goals in the 10th and 12th minutes of the match, when the score was tied at 0-0. It was his A-match debut goal after 15 games since joining the A team in 2019. He helped his team to a 4-0 victory. Hong Hyun-seok was rushed into the starting lineup in place of Hwang In-beom (Tsubena Zbezda), who felt unwell during warm-ups. However, he played the full 81 minutes with a solid performance. Seol Young-woo also started and anchored South Korea’s defense. He played 81 minutes before being subbed off for Kim Tae-hwan. The ‘Klinsmanns’ won their second straight A-Match thanks to their performance.안전놀이터
Korean soccer is once again pinning its hopes on the Golden Boys, just as it did five years ago. Korea won the gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. The members of the winning team are the core of the current A team. Wild cards Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Hwang Eui-jo (Norwich City) are the pillars of the A team. The ’96 line’ of Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Hwang In-beom, Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul), Song Bum-geun (Shonan Belmare) and Kim Moon-hwan (Alduhail) are also doing their part for the A team. In particular, Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom have made it to Europe after the Asian Games and are growing into world-class players.
The players who shared the gold medal in the “Hwangsun Hongho” are also raising expectations as a new force in the A team. They will be ready for the friendly against Vietnam on Sunday. “If we play well in the first half, we can play up to six substitutions in the second half,” said Klinsmann. We’re going to play some players who haven’t had a lot of opportunities and give them a chance,” Klinsmann said. The Golden Boys have a lot to live up to.
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