Lee Kang-in, 22, is likely to be included for the Hangzhou Asian Games. Competition is fierce for the second spot in the squad, which is aiming for a third consecutive Games with military service benefits. They will have to prove themselves to coach Hwang Sun-hong in two trials against China.
The Korean Football Association on Friday announced its roster for two friendlies against China ahead of 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 15 and 19 November.
The roster is made up 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 secondary positions.먹튀검증
The key question is whether Lee Kang-in will be selected. As the Asian Games are not organised by FIFA, there is no compulsory call-up rule, but there is a twist: a gold medal winner will be eligible for military service. It was for this reason that Son was able to play at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games with Tottenham’s co-operation. 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 move on in the summer transfer window. The Hangzhou Asian Games will take place from 23 September to 8 October. While he will need to settle into his new team and play some games early in the league, his new team will likely be interested in signing him to a long-term contract, which means they will also be interested in his military service.
Moreover, South Korea have won back-to-back gold medals in Incheon in 2014 and Jakarta-Palembang in 2018, so they are in a strong position to do so this time around. 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 tighter. 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 leg.
Earlier, Hwang Sun-hong dropped a hint on how to use Lee Kang-in. He said that he plans to play him wherever he wants, including as a flanking midfielder or an attacking midfielder, just like he does at his club. In any case, a detailed position will be decided in the second line.
He could be a player who fits in with Lee Kang-in, or he could fall out of contention and watch the national team play on TV. It’s going to be a particularly tough back-to-back for the second-stringers.