Hong Hyun-seok made a successful A-match debut.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by Jürgen Klinsmann, lost 0-1 to Peru (ranked 21st in the FIFA rankings) in the Hana Bank Invitational Football Team Friendly at the Asiad Stadium in Busan at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
South Korea was shaky in the early stages of the match as mistakes in the defensive zone led to the first goal. In the 11th minute, Reina’s shot from the left side of the penalty box off a pass from Guerrero found the back of the net.
Needing a goal, South Korea took advantage of their chances. In the 28th minute, Lee Kang played a through ball for Oh Hyun-gyu to run onto and finish, but he missed wide left. In the 34th minute, Lee Kang-in cut in from the right and fired a shot, but the goalkeeper made the save. The first half ended with Korea trailing 0-1.
The second half was all South Korea. In the 17th minute, Hwang Hee-chan cut into the middle from the left side and Oh Hyun-gyu was one-on-one with the keeper, but his shot was blocked by the keeper.
South Korea made a number of changes and went on the offensive. In the 28th minute, Hwang Hee-chan broke through on the left and sent in a cross that Lee Kang-in connected with a header that was blocked by the goalkeeper. In the 32nd minute, Lee Kang-in sent in a cross from the right and Cho Kyu-sung’s header went wide to the left. In the end, Peru was unable to find the back of the net and the game ended 0-1.
Hong Hyun-seok has been receiving a lot of attention for his good performances in the Belgian league. It looked like he was going to make the U-24 team, but Klinsmann called him up to the A squad for the June match.
Hong came on in the 17th minute of the second half as a substitute for Lee Jae-sung. It was the first time that Hong Hyun-seok, who had been shrouded in mystery, showed his face in front of the fans. Playing 33 minutes in his A-Match debut, Hong played a lot throughout the game and created chances by cutting off opponents’ passes. It was a game that showed off his strengths.
According to Couch Score, he completed 83% of his passes (5 out of 6), one key pass, 100% of his crosses (1 out of 1), one interception, and one tackle. He also had a rating of 6.9.메이저놀이터
Playing for KAA Gent in Belgium, Hong is an all-around midfielder who can play in both the second and third positions. He has made 31 appearances in the league this season, scoring five goals and providing six assists. He is a left-footed midfielder, but he also uses his right foot and plays a simple attacking game. Citing Park Ji-sung as a role model, Hong brings a lot of energy to the midfield. It will be interesting to see if Hong Hyun-seok will be the next star to follow in Park Ji-sung’s footsteps.