Hwang Seon-Hong-Ho’, seeking his first ever 3 consecutive Asian Games victory, enters the tournament of destiny.
The U-24 national soccer team, led by coach Hwang Seon-hong, will play the round of 16 of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games against Kyrgyzstan at Jinhua Sports Center Stadium in China at 8:30 p.m. on the 27th (Korean time). If they win here, they will move to Hangzhou, the ‘real battleground’, and compete with the winner of the China-Qatar match to advance to the semifinals.
Korea finished the group stage ideally. Against Kuwait, Thailand, and Bahrain, they recorded 16 points, 0 conceded, and 3 consecutive wins. The condition is also very good. Although the schedule was tight, 21 of the 22 players entered for the tournament, excluding goalkeeper Kim Jeong-hoon (Jeonbuk Hyundai), were evenly selected to build up their stamina.
Kyrgyzstan, meeting at the first gate of a tournament where loss means elimination, took second place (1 win, 2 losses) in Group F, competing with North Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Korea has the upper hand in all aspects, but we must not let our guard down. If we concede a goal first or fail to score the first goal early, we will be the ones on the run.
To control variables, ‘Hwangseonhongho’ is expected to utilize 100% of its power. It is worth paying attention to captain Baek Seung-ho (26, Jeonbuk) and ‘youngest brother’ Lee Kang-in (22, Paris Saint-Germain), who were selected as wild cards (players over the standard age).
Baek Seung-ho’s pace in this tournament is very good. Having skipped the Jakarta-Palembang Games five years ago, where he won the gold medal, due to injury, he is giving his all to the Asian Games. After scoring a goal with a right-footed free kick in the first group match against Kuwait, he scored his second goal of the tournament with a devastating right-footed shot from the center of the opponent’s goal in the third match against Bahrain.레모나토토
Lee Kang-in, who recovered from his injury, is a special star that the whole of Asia is paying attention to. After arriving in the country on the 21st, he started against Bahrain on the 24th and played for 35 minutes to check his condition. As the rhythm has been raised after the warm-up, it is the strongest weapon that ‘Hwangseonhongho’ can trust and use. Unlike Baek Seung-ho, he is good with his left foot.
“Many situations can arise, but we must not get caught up in them. In response to the captain saying, “It is important to play our game calmly,” the ‘youngest brother’ said, “The team must shine. “We will move forward together with the same goal and heart,” he promised.