‘Lee Kang-in endures the second line’ Um Won-sang – Yang Hyun-joon – Jung Woo-young – Song Min-gyu, etc. Selected … Hwang Sun-Hong Ho ahead of AG Announces the list for two consecutive matches with China
The Hangzhou Asian Games are likely to feature Lee Kang-in, 22, of South Korea. Competition for the second spot in the squad is fierce as they look to win a third consecutive tournament with military service benefits. They will have to prove themselves to coach Hwang Sun-hong in two trials against China.
The Korea Football Association on Friday announced its roster for two friendlies against China in preparation for the Hangzhou Asian Games.
K League One stars Uhm Won-sang (Ulsan), Yang Hyun-joon (Gangwon) and Song Min-kyu (Jeonbuk) have been selected, as well as German international Jung Woo-young (Freiburg). The team will play two away matches against China at Jinhua Stadium in Zhejiang Province, China, on April 15 and 19.
The roster consists of 28 players. With the Asian Games coming up in September, Hwang has called up more players for a final tune-up, especially in the highly competitive second line.
The key question is whether Lee will be selected. As the Asian Games are not organized by FIFA, there is no mandatory call-up rule, but a gold medal winner is eligible for military service. This is why Son was able to participate in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games with Tottenham’s cooperation. He ended up winning the tournament and was granted a legitimate exemption from military service.
Now that the season is over, Lee is likely to change teams in the summer transfer window. The Hangzhou Asian Games will be held from September 23 to October 8. While he’ll need to get acclimated to a new team and play some early season games, his new team will likely be interested in signing him to a long-term contract, which means they’ll also be interested in his military service.
Moreover, South Korea has won back-to-back gold medals in Incheon in 2014 and Jakarta-Palembang in 2018, so this is the strongest possible post-gold medal scenario. That’s why we don’t doubt Lee Kang-in’s departure.
Assuming Lee is included, the competition for the second spot will be even more intense. Uhm Won-sang, Yang Hyun-joon and Song Min-kyu, as well as Jung Woo-young, Ko Jae-hyun (Daegu) and Ko Young-joon (Pohang), will have to make their presence felt in the second round. 안전놀이터
Earlier, Hwang Sun-hong dropped a hint about how he plans to utilize Lee Kang-in. He said he plans to play him wherever he wants, including as a flanking midfielder or an attacking midfielder, just like he did at his club. In any case, the details of the second line will be determined.
He could be the one to match Lee Kang-in, or he could be the one to lose out to the competition and watch the national team play on TV. It’s going to be a tough back-to-back, especially for the second-stringers.
China’s roster for the Hangzhou Asian Games trial
Forwards = Park Jae-yong (Anyang), Cho Young-wook (Gimcheon), Chun Sung-hoon (Incheon)
Midfielders = Ko Young-joon (Pohang), Ko Jae-hyun (Daegu), Kwon Hyuk-gyu (Busan), Kim Bong-soo (Jeju), Song Min-gyu, Oh Jae-hyuk, Lee Soo-bin (Jeonbuk), Ahn Jae-joon (Bucheon), Yang Hyun-joon (Gangwon), Uhm Won-sang (Ulsan), Jung Woo-young (Freiburg), Jung Ho-yeon (Gwangju)
Defenders = Kim Tae-hyun (Vegalta Sendai) Park Kyu-hyun (Dynamo Dresden) Byun Jun-soo (Daejeon) Lee Sang-min (Seongnam) Lee Jae-ik (Seoul Eland) Lee Tae-seok (Seoul) Lee Han-beom (Seoul) Cho Hyun-taek (Ulsan) Choi Joon (Busan) Hwang Jae-won (Daegu)
Goalkeepers = Kim Jung-hoon (Jeonbuk) Min Sung-joon (Incheon) Lee Kwang-yeon (Gangwon)