PSG’s big decision to let Lee go for ‘Korean Agem gold’… Batong to Hwang Sun-hong…
Now it’s time for coach Hwang Sun-hong to figure out how to integrate Lee Kang-in into the team.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on Friday, “As a result of discussions with Lee Kang-in’s club PSG, it was finally agreed on Thursday night (July 14) that Lee Kang-in will join the Asian Games squad after the club’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) home match against Dortmund on July 19. Accordingly, Lee will travel to Hangzhou, China, to join the Asian Games team on the 20th local time in France,” the KFA officially announced.
The KFA continued, “After receiving an email from PSG on the 13th to allow Lee to participate in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, subject to the rescheduling of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, we held discussions with PSG until late on the night of the 14th. Finally, on the night of the 14th, we received an official response from PSG stating that they will allow us to join the team for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games on the 20th without any other preconditions,” he said, explaining the background of the discussions with PSG.
In fact, until the afternoon of the 14th, Lee’s participation in the Asian Games was very uncertain. Hwang Sun-hong, the head coach of the Asian Games team, had said that PSG would respond on the 13th local time about whether Lee Kang-in would join the Asian Games squad or not.
KFA also said, “Lee Kang-in will be in Paju tomorrow (Nov. 14) and coach Hwang will mention any updates in the meantime. PSG said they will tell him on the 13th whether he will join or not. We haven’t heard anything from the association yet.”
However, when Hwang was interviewed at the Paju NFC on Thursday, he was not happy. He said, “It’s frustrating. I am personally communicating with Lee Kang-in. Lee Kang-in wants to join as soon as possible. But the timing with PSG is not coordinated. The federation is in close communication with PSG. I hope the timing will be decided soon so that he can focus on the team,” he said, adding that there is still no agreement on whether and when Lee will be called up.
Hwang added, “I haven’t received an official answer yet on when he will join the team. I’m frustrated about that. We decided to contact him on the 13th to see if he’s fully recovered from his injury, but so far, there’s no official answer.”
The situation could completely derail Hwang’s plans to organize the attack around Lee Kang-in and aim for a third consecutive Asian Games gold medal. “I’d like him to come in one or two games before the group stage, but I don’t think that’s possible. I think PSG are putting a lot of conditions on it. I hope we can agree on that and he can join us soon,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to having Lee join the team as soon as possible.
It must have been frustrating for Hwang Sun-hong, too, because the longer Lee Kang-in waited to join the team, the more problems he would have with his teammates and the organization of the team.
In the early hours of Friday morning, PSG dramatically changed its stance. “My understanding is that PSG has decided to give Lee the green light to play in the Asian Games,” said Fabrizio Romano, a journalist familiar with European soccer news. PSG will make an announcement on Lee’s Asian Games situation soon.”
Romano’s report was followed by an official statement from the KFA. PSG decided to let Lee go after the Dortmund game without any conditions. It was a very difficult decision for PSG.
Neymar and Lionel Messi both left the team at the same time, and PSG couldn’t find replacements. They made a lot of big signings in the front line, including Gonzalo Higuain, Ousmane Dembele, and Randal Kolo Moani, but they didn’t have a player who could run the attack from the center.
While Vitinha and Warren Zaire Emery have been rotating in and out of the lineup, they haven’t found a clear answer to assemble an attack. One of the changes that Luis Enrique and his coaching staff considered was the introduction of Lee Kang-in to the midfield.
According to French outlet Le Parisien, “PSG want to turn Lee into a playmaker. With Messi and Neymar leaving the team, PSG need to find new creators. Coach Enrique trusts him and the staff wants to transform him into a playmaker,” the publication reported.
Originally, Enrique categorized Lee as a left or right winger. However, with the addition of Dembele on the right wing and the return of Mbappe on the left, that is no longer a concern.
It could have been difficult for Lee to compete for a starting spot if he was still considered a flanker. Fortunately, Enrique and the coaching staff trusted him enough to change his role.
PSG had been preparing for a change in playmaker at the time. They hadn’t used him as a playmaker on the pitch since he was injured just before the September A match. PSG were reluctant to send Lee to the Asian Games as they were about to make a major change, but they made a big decision for the player’s career.
It’s clear from Hwang’s comments that Lee Kang-jin’s commitment to the Asian Games was strong, but it wasn’t an easy decision for him either. Since joining PSG, Lee hasn’t been able to secure a starting spot. If he wants to earn Enrique’s favor at PSG, he’d better stay in the team and keep playing.
Assuming they make it to the final of the Asian Games, Lee will miss a total of four games – Marseille, Clermont, Newcastle, and Stade Rennes. If someone else steps up to the plate in the meantime, Lee will have to return to PSG and start competing for a starting spot from scratch. With so much change in the team, and with Enrique having so much faith in certain players, Lee will only be happy with a gold medal.
The key is now in Hwang’s hands. Hwang said he’s been talking to Lee Kang-jin and has been thinking about how to use him, but as is often the case in soccer, things don’t always work out the way you want them to. The last time Hwang played against Lee in person was at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in June 2021.
In more than two years, Hwang and Lee have not prepared for a match together. He must have thought a lot about how he wanted to use Lee, but it might not have worked out the way he wanted. It’s not like they’ve been working together in the buildup to the tournament, it’s like they’ve been brought in during the tournament.온라인카지노
Still, PSG made a great decision, and Lee made the Asian Games squad, even if it meant delaying his competition for a starting spot. There’s already a lot of bad publicity surrounding Hwang’s decision, and it’ll only get worse if Lee Kang-in’s tactics are shaken up. Furthermore, a third consecutive Asian Games gold medal would be out of reach.
