Professional soccer’s K League One “top dog” Ulsan Hyundai’s signature striker Lee Min-kyu, 33, nearly saved his team from suffering its second defeat of the season with a multi-goal outburst despite being punched in the face and bleeding profusely during the game.
Lee scored back-to-back goals in the 32nd and 43rd minutes to lead Ulsan to a dramatic 3-3 draw at home against Daejeon Hana Citizen in the 15th round of the K League 1 at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on Monday.
After taking the lead in the first 20 minutes of the match on an own goal, Ulsan conceded three goals in a row and were on the verge of losing the match again for the seventh time in seven rounds, but Lee In-gyu’s head and left foot saved the day.
In particular, his “fighting spirit” made the goal shine.
In the 29th minute of the match, Inhabigyu had a dizzying experience when he was hit hard in the face by the shoulder of opposing defender Kim Hyun-woo in a contest for an aerial ball.
After lying on the ground for a while, Inhabigyu struggled to get up and continue playing, his nose still bleeding from the impact.
However, Inhabigyu was not substituted in the second half and continued to play through his nose, giving Ulsan a crucial 1-0 victory.
“The first time I got hit, it hurt a lot, but I thought it wasn’t the right time, and I played my game,” he said after the match.
“Coach (Hong Myung-bo) said at halftime, ‘Let’s not give up. We have the power to catch up and turn it around. Let’s start again,’ and the players tried to put one more foot on the field. We were really focused, desperate, desperate,” he said, adding, “I think we were able to equalize not because of my commitment, but because of what the coach said.”
“It was a game that could have easily gone our way if the strikers had capitalized on their chances, but we didn’t, so it was a game to reflect on,” he said, adding, “I felt that we should try to improve.”
With his two goals on the day, Injongyu scored his eighth league goal of the season, tying him with Na Sang-ho (Seoul) for the league lead.메이저놀이터
“When I was in Jeju, I felt that I could only win if I scored a goal or recorded an offensive point, but when I came to Ulsan, I felt like I was playing as a team. I’m spending the season thinking about how to help someone score a goal,” he said, adding, “I have a lot of talented players around me, so I feel comfortable in every game.” He credits his teammates.