‘The Lone Fixer’ Lee Young-joon… Kim Do-gyun and Lee Seung-woo, “I’ve developed aspects that were lacking”

Lee Young-jun (Gimcheon Sangmu), Kim Eun-jung’s frontline, is improving.

Kim Eun-joong’s South Korea Under-20 team will face Italy in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 at the La Plata Stadium in Argentina on 9 September at 6am.

South Korea will be looking to reach the final for the second consecutive tournament after finishing runners-up at the 2019 U-20 World Cup in Poland.

In truth, expectations were not high for this team. Not only did they not have any standout star players, but they were also in a position to fight for playing time at their respective clubs. Kim Eun-joong-ho had a solid strategy with his original team.메이저놀이터

He faced one strong opponent after another, but he defended well and took his chances. Instead of hunkering down, they made the difference with quick counterattacks and set plays. It was a team effort, but the lone frontline player was Lee Young-joon.

The 6-foot-2 striker battled with the opposition defence at every turn. He battles for aerial balls, gets on his back, and fights for possession in a variety of ways. It’s only when he protects possession that South Korea’s small but lethal attack begins.

But it’s not all about height. He has also shown the subtlety to use his feet to break down defences. Against Ecuador, he found the back of the net with a chest trap and shot. He also showed his decisiveness after scoring a header against France.

The loss of attacking talent Park Seung-ho (Incheon United) to injury meant that Lee had to carry a lot more weight. Lee is growing up in the lonely frontline.

Kim Do-gyun, the head coach of Lee’s original team Suwon FC, gave him a thumbs-up: “He’s improved tremendously,” he said, “and when I brought him to the team, I saw the potential for improvement.” “I think he will improve a lot every year,” he added.

“I’ve been watching him since he joined the team until this World Cup, and I think he’s improved a lot,” Kim said, explaining that he has improved physically and has shown composure in scoring situations. “Actually, he was a bit lacking in that regard, but he has improved a lot and I think he will improve even more,” he said.

His former Suwon FC teammate Lee Seung-woo, who also played at the 2017 U-20 World Cup, nodded in agreement. “He’s improved a lot,” he said, “and I think he’ll be a good player if he utilises his physical strengths.”

On his goal against Ecuador, he said, “I was surprised that he scored so calmly,” adding, “He has improved to that level. That’s what happens when you work hard.” Finally, Lee Seung-woo said of Lee Young-joon, “After going to the army, he got fitter and more confident,” and encouraged him to “go even higher.”