Korean Football Team Wins Gold Medal at Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games
Hangzhou, China – In a thrilling final match between Korea and Japan at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, the Korean national football team emerged victorious, clinching the gold medal. The significance of this triumph extends beyond sporting glory, as it grants the players exemption from mandatory military service and paves the way for a promising future in their athletic careers.
Prior to the tournament’s final, local media focused on the unique military service benefits that European players, including Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart), Hong Hyun-seok (Gent), and Park Gyu-hyun (Dinamo Dresden), would potentially enjoy. Fans voiced their support for exempting Korean players from military service, stressing the importance of resolving this issue to ensure a continuous trajectory in their athletic pursuits.
For athletes who join the army while actively playing, maintaining their skills can be challenging. While the K League 2 Gimcheon Sangmu offers an opportunity to fulfill national defense duties, complications may arise due to the requirement of prior experience playing for a K League club.
Son Heung-min, the talented forward for Tottenham and captain of the adult national team, faced similar concerns during the Jakarta-Palembang Games five years ago. Although initially joining the national team late due to his club’s schedule, Son’s presence proved instrumental in propelling the team to the finals after a shaky start in the group stage. The hard-fought victory against Japan secured Son Heung-min a coveted military exemption, solidifying his status as a world-class striker.
The Asian Games also brought attention to the emergence of a potential “second Son Heung-min.” Lee Kang-in, who, like his predecessor, joined the national team late due to injury and conflicting schedule, captivated spectators and ignited feelings of déjà vu from five years ago.
Despite initially struggling to make an offensive impact and unable to play a full game in the group stage, Lee Kang-in showcased his true worth in the final showdown against Japan. His contributions, alongside those of his teammates, led Korea to secure the championship title, eliciting smiles and pride as they proudly wore their gold medals and received exemptions from military service.
Under the guidance of coach Hwang Seon-hong, the national team delivered a captivating performance in the men’s soccer finals, defeating Japan with a score of 2-1 at the Puyang Inhu Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. This marked their third consecutive victory since the 2014 Incheon Games.
Lee Kang-in’s role in Korea’s success cannot be underestimated. Despite facing intense scrutiny and marked by restrictive defenses, he adeptly created strategic opportunities and disrupted the Japanese side. His precision was evident not only in his passes but also in his crosses, reliably providing vital support for the team’s attacking force.
The match unfolded with an early setback as Korea conceded a goal in the 26th minute of the first half. However, Jung Woo-young equalized later in the game, followed by Cho Young-wook’s winning goal in the 11th minute of the second half, igniting a wave of excitement and securing victory for Korea.
Although Lee Kang-in did not contribute with any attacking points during this tournament, his outstanding performance and receipt of special military service benefits through winning the Asian Games gold medal have raised expectations for his bright future, as well as for the other players who played their part in claiming the championship.
Korean players rejoice after scoring a comeback goal in the final match between Korea and Japan in the men’s soccer match of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games held at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, China on the 7th. Hangzhou (China) = Correspondent Hwang Jin-hwan The Korean national football team won the gold medal at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. With this military exemption benefit, expectations are high for a bright future in the athlete’s career.
Before the final of the tournament, the local media also paid attention to the special military service benefits of European players such as Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart), Hong Hyun-seok (Gent), and Park Gyu – hyun (Dinamo Dresden). Fans also expressed their wish for Korean players to be exempt from military service, saying, “We need to resolve military service in order to continue our careers as athletes.”
If you join the army while playing as an athlete, you will inevitably face difficulties in maintaining your skills. There is a way to fulfill national defense duties by joining K League 2 Gimcheon Sangmu, but the contract process can be complicated due to the rule that a player must have experience playing for a K League club before this.
Accordingly, Son Heung-min (Tottenham), captain of the adult national team, also went on the hunt for a gold medal at the Jakarta-Palembang Games five years ago. He was selected as a wild card along with Hwang Ui-jo (Norwich City) and Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), but there was an element of concern about Son Heung-min joining the national team late due to his team’s schedule in the time.
After losing the first game of the group stage, Son Heung-min played the Asian Games schedule, starting with a substitute appearance in the second game. The national team, who had previously shown an uneasy record with 1 win and 1 loss in the group stage, managed to bounce back thanks to the addition of Son Heung-min, and eventually advanced to the finals, defeating Japan and took the top spot.
Asian Games gold medalist Son Heung-min received a military exemption and has since established himself as a world-class striker. It was an opportunity to step up as ‘world class’ with a glittering career, including the FIFA Puskás Award in the 2020-2021 season and the top scorer in the English Premier League (23 goals) in the 2021-2022 season.
In this tournament, the focus was on the birth of the ‘second Son Heung-min’. In particular, the look of Lee Kang-in, who joined the national team late like Son Heung-min, was like déjà vu from five years ago.
Lee Kang-in also joined the team late due to injury and his team’s schedule which played in the Asian Games starting from the third game of the group stage. However, there were no offensive points in the four games before the semi-final, and concerns arose about his condition as he could not even play full time.
Lee Kang-in breaks through in the final match between Korea and Japan in the men’s football match of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games held at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, China on the 7th. Hangzhou (China) = Reporter Hwang Jin-hwan However, Lee Kang-in showed his true worth in the final, defeating Japan and leading Korea to the championship. In the end, the national team players, including Lee Kang-in, were able to smile brightly as they received gold medals around their necks and even received an exemption from military service.
The national team led by coach Hwang Seon-hong defeated Japan 2 to 1 in the men’s soccer finals held at the Puyang Inhu Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, on the 7th. Following the 2014 Incheon Games, they had their third consecutive victory.
Like Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in also contributed greatly to Korea’s victory. Although he failed to score any offensive points in the final, he played a significant role in the victory by shaking the Japanese defense.
Being an ace, he is under intense control by his opponent throughout this tournament. Japan also added 2 to 3 defenders to block Lee Kang-in.
However, the more he did, the more gaps Korea were able to create in their attack. Go Young-jun and Cho Young-wook dug into the empty space created by Lee Kang-in, and this was enough to silence the Japanese.
His clarity stood out not only in passes but also in crosses. Lee Kang-in did not lose the ball easily despite the strong pressure put on him, but instead created a decisive opportunity and led the attack.
In the end, Korea won and took the gold medal. After being down 0-1 in the 26th minute of the first half, Jung Woo-young scored the equalizing goal, and then Cho Young-wook scored the winning goal in the 11th minute of the second half, leading to victory excited for the second half.
Lee Kang-in did not record any attack points in this tournament, but it is clear that he performed excellently. Like Son Heung-min, expectations are focused on the bright future of Lee Kang-in, who received special military service benefits by winning the Asian Games gold medal, and all the other players who contributed to the championship.
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