“It was very emotional, I was crying.”
Hwang Sun-hong’s South Korea U24 national men’s soccer team cruised to a 9-0 victory over Kuwait in their opening Group E match on Sept. 19 at Jinhua Stadium in Zhejiang Province, China. Six different players found the back of the net, including Jung Woo-young with a hat trick, Cho Young-wook with two goals, Baek Seung-ho, Uhm Won-sang, Park Jae-yong, and Ahn Jae-joon.
The defense also put up an ironclad defense. They added strength at the back so that the offense could attack steadily.
There was one player on the defense who had a big day. Park Jin-seop. This was Park’s first game with the Korean flag on his chest, as he had never been capped at the senior level, let alone at the age group level.
Park, who joined the tournament as a wild card alongside captains Baek Seung-ho and Seol Young-woo, played alongside Lee Han-beom in the center of defense and helped the team keep a clean sheet.
In fact, Park has been a player with many twists and turns. He didn’t get drafted by a professional team, so he played for Korail in the National League Daejeon. He went on to play for Ansan Greeners, Daejeon Hana Citizens, and finally Jeonbuk Hyundai. He has become an indispensable player for the Star Army, playing both midfield and central defense. He was named to the Best 11 in the K League 1 last season and has played 27 league games this season.
Speaking to MixedZone after the match, Park said, “This is the first time I’ve played for the Korean national team. It was emotional. It was very emotional. The players helped me a lot, so I was able to play a good game,” he said.
“The first game is the hardest in a tournament like this. “But the goals came quickly and the players kept their composure and coolness. It feels good to end up with a big win and play a good game,” he smiled.
During the interview, Park’s throat was very hoarse. His throat was hoarse from shouting from the back. Even after the big win, Park didn’t stop talking.
“The coach said to me after halftime, ‘We scored a lot of goals, but let’s keep our current form,'” he laughed, “and he had a lot of demands on the defense line.
Regarding Lee Han-beom, who is playing with the national team for the first time, Park said, “Han-beom was a very good player in the K League. We communicate a lot in training and are in sync. The organizational part is no problem. The more we play, the better he will get,” he said. 먹튀검증
“I think I will focus on the defense in this tournament,” he said, “As the coach said, we should celebrate the big win, but I just want to enjoy this day. I need to keep my cool. We will prepare for the Thailand match again.”