Lee has been constantly called upon by the Korean national men’s soccer team under Jurgen Klinsmann. The left sideback has played the most matches along with right sideback Seol Young-woo in the Korean national team, which is suffering from a “full-back famine.” It was unexpected to make the Asian Cup final list. Lee played in all nine of the 10 matches he played under Klinsmann, except against El Salvador in June.
However, Lee has not played in a single match since the match against Incheon United on Sept. 30 last year for his team, Suwon Samsung. Soccer fans have raised voices of criticism, saying, “Does it make sense to select players who do not play in the national team?” They have raised issue with his sense of play and condition in actual matches.
Klinsmann showed faith. Understanding Lee’s situation, he said, “Whenever I convened this year, I always showed my performance in the national team. I fully played my role. More than anyone else, I am a professional player. I have always had worries about side backs. Until the Asian Cup, I will go with Lee Ki-je and Kim Jin-su. Now, the two players are qualified to play in a big competition.” In fact, Lee played as a starting member in the final warm-up match against Iraq at New York University Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, ahead of the Asian Cup on Tuesday (메이저 토토사이트).
His signature sharp left-footed cross stood out. Lee made several attempts to cross his left foot in between Iraq’s dense defense against the Korean team. In the 22nd minute of the first half, Lee scored a cross into the penalty box in a surprise move. Oh Hyun-kyu connected with a non-stop shot, but he fell into the goalkeeper’s arms again. He also added an early cross to the gate in the 36th minute, creating a threatening scene.
Manager Klinsmann deployed “main players” such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Kang-in (PSG), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Cho Kyu-sung (Mitwillan) in the second half. In the meantime, Lee Ki-je was the “four players” who played from the beginning to the end with goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu (Al-Shab), Park Yong-woo (Al-Ain), and Hwang In-beom (Zrvena Zvezda) among the 11 players.
The biggest strength of the Korean national team is its sharp spear. Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), and Hwang In-beom are all outstanding. In terms of individual performance, the team has won the title by far, but the situation is different at the Asian Cup. The team needs to break through dense defense by teams that are rated one or two lower. Therefore, Lee’s left foot, which instantly breaks down the defense, could serve as another option.