Hwang Seon-hong, coach of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games men’s soccer team, is still troubled by the issue of Lee Kang-in’s selection. He did not hide his feelings of frustration because he had to call him as soon as possible and work hand in hand with him to find the optimal position, but nothing could be done.
Director Hwang, who has not seen Lee Kang-in’s face for over a year, is still at a loss as to where to place him.
The Asian Games national team led by Coach Hwang announced the final list of 23 players on July 14th. Although the list included national team and K-League players such as Lee Kang-in, Baek Seung-ho, Park Jin-seop (Jeonbuk Hyundai), and Seol Young-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), controversy arose over the selection of Lee Sang-min (Chungnam Asan), who was ineligible at the time. 카지노
In the end, the Asian Games national team, which ended the controversy by selecting Kim Tae-hyun (Vegalta Sendai) as Lee Sang-min’s replacement, trained with the U-22 national team in August. It was necessary for the entire squad to train for a few days in September, when the tournament was held, but due to the delay in joining overseas teams and the selection of several players to the national team, it was not possible to form a complete team.
The key is Lee Kang-in. Lee Kang-in worked with coach Hwang for the first time at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup held in Uzbekistan in the summer of 2022. At this time, Coach Hwang aimed to win the tournament by utilizing Lee Kang-in, but was eliminated after suffering a shocking 0-3 loss to Japan in the quarterfinals.
Since then, Lee Kang-in has achieved a significant increase in his abilities in Mallorca. His strong left foot kick, as well as his increased physicality and speed, were also noticeable, making him his best season. He enjoyed a career-high season for Paris in the 2022/23 season, registering 6 goals and 6 assists in 36 appearances. He is a completely different player than he was a year ago.
Lee Kang-in became the first Asian player to join PSG last July, and although he is still in contention for the starting position, he also attracted attention as a playmaker leading the team’s attack. However, he was recently sidelined due to a hamstring injury suffered at the end of last month.
This had an impact not only on the national team but also on the Asian Games team. Fortunately, it is not an injury that will put a burden on the men’s soccer schedule for the Asian Games starting on the 19th, but it does not appear that PSG is planning to quickly release Lee Kang-in to the Asian Games rather than the FIFA A match.
Director Hwang hopes Lee Kang-in will join quickly, but it is too early to make any hasty conclusions. It is still unclear how his team PSG will release him.
Also, it seemed like Director Hwang did not have a clear idea of how to utilize Lee Kang-in. This is because Director Hwang could not confirm Lee Kang-in’s recently changed style.
Coach Hwang said, “Because I couldn’t confirm it with my own eyes, if I make a definite statement (that Lee Kang-in will be used for something), I have to keep my promise, so it’s difficult to talk about it now,” and added, “I communicated with the player a few times, but there is a difference between what I say verbally and what I say at the training ground.” He explained.
The timing of Lee Kang-in’s joining is also unknown. Coach Hwang said, “The team said they would give a final answer on the 13th. When I contacted the player himself, he said he has been training with the ball since this week and is probably preparing with a focus on next weekend’s league game.” He said.
He continued, “From Lee Kang-in’s words, it seems like that’s what the team is planning right now. We want to join quickly, so I think it’s a problem that (Lee) Kang-in needs to solve a little bit. I wish I could join before the competition. I’ve seen various situations.” “There is a possibility that I will join the team so close to the first match of the tournament, so I think I will have to think about various situations and prepare. I am sorting things out in my head to some extent. My personal wish is to join as soon as possible,” he added.
Director Hwang, who has not yet confirmed Lee Kang-in, does not have many options. First of all, it would be better for Lee Kang-in to join quickly and give Director Hwang a choice. However, as the joining continues to be delayed, Director Hwang’s frustration shows no signs of going away.