Lee Kang-in (22-PSG), who recently moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), is expected to be selected by Hwang Sun-hong to play in the Asian Games.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on Wednesday that it will announce the final roster for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games at 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Jongno Football Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and that coach Hwang Sun-hong will also hold a press conference. The KFA has 15 days to submit the roster to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), which organizes the Asian Games, and has reportedly already done so.
꽁머니지급 The Asian Games were originally scheduled to be held last year but were pushed back by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The age limit of 23 and under was also extended to 24 and under (born in 1999). The team is expected to include the runners-up of the 2019 U-20 World Cup in Poland, including Uhm Won-sang (Ulsan Hyundai), Cho Young-wook (Gimcheon Commerce), Ko Jae-hyun (Daegu FC) and Choi Jun (Busan IPark). Europeans Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart) and Hong Hyun-seok (Ghent) are also likely to join the squad.
The big question is whether Lee will be selected. The 22-year-old, born in 2001, has yet to fulfill his military service obligation. If he wins a gold medal at the Asian Games, he will only have to complete about a month of basic military training under the Military Service Act. Europeans Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Kim Min-jae (Napoli) were exempted from military service after winning the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. Kim arrived in South Korea immediately after the end of last season and joined the army’s Nonsan Training Center, where he completed three weeks of basic military training and was discharged on June 6.
Lee’s participation in the Asian Games requires PSG’s ‘permission’. This is because the Asian Games and the Olympics are not mandatory FIFA events. In the case of the World Cup and Confederations Cup, players can play without their clubs’ consent according to FIFA regulations.
PSG officially announced the signing of Lee on September 9. He signed a five-year contract until 2028. Lee took part in PSG’s first pre-season training session on Nov. 11 (local time) and greeted his teammates. He was seen chatting with new signing Luca Hernandez and sharing a massage bed with star striker Neymar.
Lee’s buyout is reportedly worth €17 million ($24.2 billion). If he plays in the Asian Games, PSG will have to play without him for about two months, despite spending a lot of money. This makes it difficult to let him go. PSG may want to use the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics as a wild card for the next Asian Games.
With his attacking versatility, Hwang is likely to use him in the attacking midfield or on the flanks if he makes the national team. He is expected to form a good attacking synergy with Uhm Won-sang, Jung Woo-young, and Cho Young-wook.
Lee previously played for Hwangseon Hongho at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup in March last year. The team topped their group, beating Thailand and Malaysia and drawing with Vietnam before falling to Japan in the quarterfinals. Lee played in three of the four games and was a solid performer. It will be interesting to see if Lee Kang-in will join Hwang Sun-hong at the Asian Games, or if he will play in the Ligue 1 during the tournament.
In addition to the selection of Lee Kang-in, there will also be interest in the selection of three wild cards (players over the age of 24). Coach Hwang Sun-hong had previously said that he would consider players for the front line, central midfield, and central defense. K League 1 scoring leader Lee In-jong-kyu and Seol Young-woo, who recently made his A-match debut, are in the running. Midfielder Baek Seung-ho and center back Park Jin-seop are also in the mix.
South Korea is a five-time Asian Games champion. They won back-to-back gold medals from Incheon 2014 to Jakarta-Palembang 2018. There is no precedent for a third consecutive title. Hwang Sun-hong, who boasts an all-star roster, will attempt to become the first team to win three consecutive titles. The group draw for the tournament will be held on July 27 in Hangzhou, but the format of the draw has yet to be determined.