“The attack is fine, but I’m worried about the defender.”
“Stork” Hwang Seon-hong (55), coach of the under-23 (U-23) soccer team, toured the country throughout February. In addition to the college spring tournament held in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, coaching staff were distributed to the K-League site, which opened on the 25th, to check the skills of representative players.
On the 25th, I visited the Suwon Samsung-Gwangju FC match held at the Suwon World Cup Stadium, and on the 26th, I watched the match between Daejeon Hana Citizen and Gangwon FC at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium.
There were many objects to be observed in the Suwon-Gwangju match. Suwon’s right-sided defender Kim Tae-hwan (23), Gwangju’s side striker Um Ji-seong (21), central midfielder Jung Ho-yeon (23), and forward striker Heo Yul (22) were identified. In the match between Daejeon and Gangwon, I watched Gangwon side striker Yang Hyeon-jun (21).
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) allows those born after January 1, 1999 to participate in men’s soccer at the Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled for September, so resources who were 23 years old last year can participate.
From the perspective of director Hwang, the range of choices has expanded, but it is difficult to make an easy composition. During the match between Suwon and Gwangju, coach Hwang, who met with SpotTV News, laughed and said, “Maybe we should form two teams.” If good results come from Hangzhou, the team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris could be a different composition.
Of course, in order to do that, it is important to play on your own team as well as to make a good squad. In the case of attackers or midfielders, Lee Kang-in (22, Mallorca) was announced early on for selection, and side strikers Eom Won-sang (24, Ulsan Hyundai), Song Min-gyu (24, Jeonbuk Hyundai), and central midfielder Hong Hyun-seok (24, Ghent) will join. I have leeway. Eom Won-sang and Song Min-gyu all scored goals in the head-to-head match, shaking Hwang’s heart.
Coach Hwang, who focused on his strength in the match between Suwon and Gwangju, expressed his thoughts, “Eom Ji-seong suffered a slight injury last year. He is a player who is good at managing the game, but it is necessary to check how much his body has improved.” In the case of Heo-yul, it is a resource on the border. He is a tall striker at 192cm, but his play under his feet is good. Director Hwang said, “I think he’s a little nervous,” and hoped that his talents would be fully displayed. Jeong Ho-yeon contributed to a 1-0 victory by assisting Asani’s winning goal in the 43rd minute of the second half with a blade space pass.
However, if you only think about defense, it is full of worries. Byun Jun-su, who played 19 matches for Hana Citizen in Daejeon last year, did not even make it to the 18-man list for Gangwon-do. Kim Hyun-woo (24), who was born in Ulsan and made a U-turn to Daejeon where he had only tasted Croatia’s prestigious Dinamo Zagreb, and Lee Jae-ik (24, Seoul E-Land) and Lee Han-beom (21, FC Seoul), who won the 2019 Under-20 (U-20) World Cup. participation became more important. Lee Han-beom was left out of the Incheon match list. 먹튀검증
Coach Hwang said, “The offense and midfielders are playing to some extent, but the defense is a problem. I am particularly worried about the sense of participation of the central defense resources. Many K-League clubs use a flat 3 (three back). I think I can do it,” he thought. He also expressed affectionate concern, saying that he would definitely like to play for a certain player.
There is not enough time to breathe. March and June A-match periods are the best. In September, the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers will be held just before the Hangzhou Asian Games. It must have complex calculations. As the K-League under 22 years of age (U-22) compulsory participation regulation, it was difficult for the U-23 national team to select players. That’s why I don’t give up easily.