The Asian Games national team, led by head coach Hwang Sun-hong, conducted recovery training at an auxiliary stadium near the Jinhwa Sports Center Stadium in Jinhwa, China on the 22nd. 안전놀이터 This training was the first training since Lee Kang-in joined as a whole. While dividing the training groups separately, Lee Kang-in received simple training with Song Min-gyu, Min Sung-jun, Kim Jung-hoon, Lee Han-beom, Park Kyu-hyun and Choi Jun.
Before going into training, he made his first appearance in front of reporters. I tried to come quickly but I couldn’t, but I feel sorry for my colleagues and coaching staff, Lee Kang-in said. I’m excited to be together. We will talk a lot and work hard to get good results by matching it well, he said, expressing his feelings about joining Hwang Sun-hong after a long time.
It’s been a while since I’ve played with my teammates, so I think I’ll have to match it as much as I can, he added, adding that he needs a little time to melt into the team. Lee Kang-in was called up to Hwang Sun-hong about a year and three months after the Under-23 U-23 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan in June last year. Even before that, he had a few opportunities, but he was away from Hwang Sun-hong for a while, overlapping his team’s schedule or being called up to the A national team.
Coach Hwang Sun-hong suddenly selected Lee Kang-in, who has not been with him for a long time, for the Asian Games. There was also a military exemption, but basically, Lee Kang-in was a better resource than anyone else in the under-23 power.
Currently, the national team is full of players representing the K League, including Jung Woo-young Stuttgart and Hong Hyun-seok KAA Hent, as well as Um Won-sang Ulsan Hyundai, Song Min-gyu Jeonbuk Hyundai, and Ko Young-joon Pohang Steelers. However, Lee Kang-in has developed global skills by competing for a long time on a larger stage than these players. There is no one to follow on the Asian Games stage. Lee Kang-in’s presence is a great help for the national team, which is trying to win its first three consecutive championships.
However, the time to join the team was delayed, making it difficult. Although his team Paris Saint-Germain finally allowed the transfer, it was a little late. It was suggested as a condition of joining on the 21st, when the second round will be held, not on the 19th, when the first game of the tournament is scheduled.
Hwang Sun-hong played the first and second group games without Lee Kang-in, and fortunately, Lee Kang-in’s absence was not felt. However, the players each hoped for Lee Kang-in’s quick joining, and even if Lee Kang-in, who has not been with him for a long time, joins, it will be a plus factor for the team’s performance without any problems with adaptation.
Choi Joon, who played with Lee Kang-in at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup and scored the winning goal with the help of Lee Kang-in in the semi-final match against Ecuador, said, Kangin is watching everything where we play, even if he doesn’t talk. If we move well, the ball will come in on its own. We have to move well because we are good players. He’s a player who can match everything, he said. There will be no big problem in adapting to Lee Kang-in’s late joining.
Lee Jae-ik, who was also with Lee Kang-in at the tournament, also said, I know how big Kang-in is. If Kangin comes, I’m sure he’ll be stronger. I watched his team’s game and his ball touch and body movement looked good. I will listen to anything Kangin says, he said, expressing his intention to trust only Lee Kang-in.
Hong Hyun-seok, who knows each other well by forming a midfield with Lee Kang-in at the U-23 Asian Cup last year, joked, If I give the ball to Kang-in, I will do it on my own. I don’t know if I will play with Kang-in in the third game, but if I play, I will work well with him, he said, expecting Lee Kang-in to lead the team easily because he is not a player who needs to adapt.
However, Lee Kang-in said that contrary to his teammates’ expectations, it was so long ago that he would need time. Lee Kang-in said, It’s more important to match well with your teammates as soon as possible than what your physical condition is, adding, It’s been a while since I joined this team. It’s been a long time since I’ve done it with my colleagues. I think we need to communicate as much as possible with each other and train well, he said, adding that he will work together while preparing for the game in the future.
Hwang Sun-hong will play the third group match against Bahrain at 8:30 p.m. on the 24th at the Jinhwa Sports Center Stadium. It is virtually no different from a practice match, which has no meaning to win or lose, as it has already confirmed its advance to the round of 16 as the No. 1 player in the group. Coach Hwang Sun-hong also said he would prepare for the third round to maintain his performance in preparation for the tournament, and attention is focusing on whether Lee Kang-in, who newly joined, will appear even for a short time.