Hwang Sun-hong’s ‘Sergeant Striker’ Lee Young-joon (Gimcheon) aims for Indonesia’s Shin Tae-yong’s goal.
The South Korea U-23 national football team, coached by Hwang Sun-hong, will take on Indonesia’s Shin Tae-yong in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup 2024 at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday at 2:30 a.m. ET.
The tournament serves as the final qualifier for men’s soccer at this year’s Paris Olympics, with the top three finishers earning a direct ticket to the 안전카지노사이트 Olympic Games.
The quarterfinals are a must-win for the team to reach the Olympic Games.
Their opponents on the wooden bridge to Paris are Indonesia, a team coached by Shin Tae-yong, who knows Korean soccer inside out.
The U-23s lead the all-time head-to-head record with five wins, but they are no slouches, having beaten Australia 1-0 and thrashed Jordan 4-1 in Group A at the tournament.
In the absence of their main European players, Hwang Sun-hong Ho’s sharpest weapon has been former soldier goalkeeper Lee Young-joon.
The 6-foot-4, 190-centimeter goalkeeper has developed into a standout at last year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup, helping South Korea reach the quarterfinals.
Hwang Sun-hong also had a breakout tournament, scoring three goals in just the first and second group games.
He scored a late stoppage-time winner against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the first leg, and scored multiple goals with both his right and left feet in the second leg against China.
He was rested for the third match against Japan, which was played with an early quarterfinal berth secured.
Born in 2003, Lee Young-joon is a sergeant who has been recognized for his “salute” after every goal at the tournament.
Although he is the youngest player in the Hwangsun Hongho, he has many years of professional experience, having joined Suwon FC of the K-League 1 on a semi-professional contract in 2021 before joining Gimcheon Commerce in January last year.
He has played 43 games in the K League (31 K League 1 games, 1 goal and 2 assists, 13 K League 2 games, 3 goals and 2 assists).
With the absence of European strikers such as Bae Joon-ho (Stoke City) and Yang Hyun-joon (Celtic) and the injury of top contender Ahn Jae-joon (Bucheon), Lee’s role has become more important than ever.
Shin Tae-yong also singled out Lee Young-joon as the player to watch out for in South Korea.
“He’s been playing very well,” Shin said at the pre-match press conference the day before. He is the most important player in Korea,” he said.
He emphasized the need to be wary of Korea’s set pieces with the likes of Jang Shin Young-joon.
One defender Lee will have to overcome in Indonesia is Dutch-born “mixed-race defender” Justin Herbner (Cerezo Osaka).
With an Indonesian father and Dutch mother, Herbner is a promising youngster who grew up playing for Hwang Hee-chan’s club, Wolverhampton in the English Premier League (EPL).
The matchup between Lee and Herbner will be a key moment in the matchup.