Lee Kang-in’s performance has attracted a lot of attention in Europe.
The South Korean national soccer team (ranked 26th in FIFA), coached by Jürgen Klinsmann, defeated Tunisia (ranked 29th in FIFA) 4-0 in the October A match at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 13th.
It didn’t take long for the boos to turn into cheers, as the game began with a few critical comments directed at coach Klinsmann. The target of the cheers was Lee Kang-in.
Lee was deployed in the center alongside Hong Hyun-seok and Park Yong-woo. With Tunisia’s extreme defensive tactics, there was no room for Lee to receive the ball in the center. Lee thought he could play better if he moved to the right, so he asked Klinsmann and Lee Jae-sung, who was playing on the right, to do so.안전놀이터
As Lee moved to the right and began to shake up the flank, the Tunisian defense began to crack a bit. Lee used his solid technique to draw defenders in and then use his teammates or carry the ball up the middle himself to shake up their organization.
After the game, Lee said, “When me and (Lee) Jae-sung thought about my brother, we thought it would be better to switch, and the coach gave us the ‘okay’ to do so. I think we played better with that switch, so I’m grateful to the coach for letting us do that and for listening to us. I’m also grateful to my brother Jae-sung for accepting it.”
It was in the eighth minute of the second half that Lee began to shine the most since his call-up to the national team. A bold breakaway earned him a free kick in a good position. The left-footed kicker was in a good position to take it, and Lee took it himself.
The ball left Lee’s foot and took a fantastic trajectory, rattling the net. It had been almost four years since Lee had scored his debut goal, having made his national team debut on September 5, 2019. Lee ran to the fans and roared, and his seniors congratulated him on his debut goal.
It didn’t end there. As soon as the game resumed, a long pass was delivered to Cho Kyu-sung and Lee Kang-in in the front line. Lee ran into the penalty box and battled with a defender. After winning the ball himself, Lee scored his second goal with a nice turning shot. In addition to his debut goal and first multi-goal performance, Lee also had a hand in the opponent’s own goal in the 22nd minute of the second half.
After the match, Tunisia head coach Zachel Khadri said, “The attacking line stood out, especially No. 18 (Lee). He is very individual and fast. If you have a player like him, he can make a difference.” He recognized Lee’s skills.
His club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), also highlighted Lee’s performance. “Lee scored his first goal in an international match,” the club announced on its official social media channels. PSG’s No. 19 scored two goals in the match, the first two goals of his international career,” the club said in a congratulatory message.
The French Ligue 1 also congratulated the player on their official social media accounts, saying, “What can you do in two minutes. Lee Kang-in scored two goals against Tunisia. He’s a crazy player,” and congratulated Lee on his multi-goal performance.
France also took notice of Lee’s performance. “Le Parisien” wrote, “Lee Kang-in is making waves in Paris and far away. Lee, who was called up on Sept. 24, won a gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and was granted preferential military service. “He scored his first two goals in a Korean jersey in South Korea’s 4-0 win over Tunisia,” said Lee, who has been on a roll lately.
“The young Parisian is becoming a key player in the system of Klinsmann, the former Bayern Munich coach. He is developing rapidly. At the age of 22, he has two goals in 14 A matches.”
Reports also came from Spain, where Lee grew up as a professional player. “Lee Kang-in is a cannonball. The PSG player led South Korea to a 4-0 victory over Tunisia in a friendly in Seoul on Friday. Tunisia is one of the best teams in Africa, so it was a classy victory for (South Korea),” and introduced Lee as a key player in South Korea’s big win.
“His quality shone through twice as he broke down the Tunisian defense. It is good news for PSG coach Luis Enrique that he is recovering and playing well in South Korea after the Asian Games.”
On the night of the 14th, Lee posted on his personal social media account, “It was an unforgettable night for me. Thank you to my teammates and fans for being with me,” he wrote on his personal social media account, thanking fans for his debut goal and multi-goal performance. He also wrote in French, “Une nuit inoubliable. Merci!” (An unforgettable night. Thank you!).
In his post-match interview, Lee said, “Thank you so much for your support. I think the most important thing is the team’s victory. I’m on the national team now, and if I’m able to be on the national team in the future, I want to do my best in every game and help the team win, and in every competition, I want to help the team win. That’s all I want to do,” he said, emphasizing his mindset as a teammate.
“It’s great to see so many people come and support Korean soccer. If you look at the K League, the more you go, the more spectators come and support the team. Not only the national team players, but all Korean soccer players are trying to play more fun, more enjoyable, and better soccer. I hope you will continue to support us,” he said, asking the fans for their support.
