I really tried hard to refrain from posting a “Lee Seung Woo is beasting up at the AFC U16 tournament” post until the very end of the tournament but boy what happened today was just too good not to post.
To recap his tournament so far:
After serving his one match ban against Oman, Lee returned to the South Korean U16 NT side with a bang, scoring a magnificent solo dribble goal vs Malaysia:
Boy have we ever seen a dribbler like this in the KNT youth divisions? Definitely not.
And then he performed just as admirably against Thailand, scoring from a neat 1-2 with fellow Barca teammate Jang Gyeol Hee:
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And then came the moment of magic vs Japan
Our quarterfinal opponent was none other than Japan. The winner of the match would qualify for the U17 World Cup while the loser would go home without a spot. As soon as the Thailand match ended, Lee stated the following in an interview: “일본 정도는 가볍게 이길 수 있다,” which translates to “if it’s just Japan, we can win easily” with the most smug smirk on his face (God I love this kid). Some arrogant stuff right?
Well he completely justified it with the following two goals
And with that Messi goal Lee pretty much singlehandedly eliminated Japan from qualifying for the U17 World Cup, with help from Kim Jung Min of course for that assist (fun fact Kim Jung Min is only 14!!). And don’t just thank Lee for our stellar results thus far. We’ve had very positive performances from the defense, especially the fullbacks. Jang Gyeol Hee also had a solid tournament, not having the same impact as Lee but displayed precocious technical skills.
A number of foreign media outlets of course began to pick up on Lee’s exploits pretty quickly:
La Masia's golden boy @Seungwoolee tearing it up in the Asian U16 Cup. Four absoulutely sensational goals in 3 games http://t.co/lkZj9lMtOG
— La Masia (@Youngcules) September 14, 2014
At this rate we should be able to win the whole championship. The future truly is bright, my fellow fans. The U19 team is especially stacked with the likes of Hwang Hee Chan, Seo Myung Won, Kim Shin, Lee Gwang Hyeok, Baek Seung Ho, etc., and this U16 team looks to defend the title in spectacular fashion as well. Apparently the U14/15 team is even more talented so we’ll see what they can do in a couple years as well.
oh captain my captain
Could this be? I can only hope and pray…..
I see a really bright future for Lee and for the national team all together. Our current national side has been crying out for talent of this level and I can’t wait until he makes his debut.
That whole team seems pretty sick….the assist on that Japan goal was totally bananas. Seung MH or Ki should be playing with these kids by the time theyre 30 right? Or do you think sooner?
Son’s 22, LSW is 16. LSW might get a look prior to the 2018 World cup (MIGHT, key word there), so then LSW is 19, SHM 25, KSY 28.
Basically, by 2022, LSW is 23, SHM 29 and KSY the experienced playmaker at 33. Throw in Hwang Hee-Chan, the other Barca Boys and that’s just an exciting team.
But a LOT can happen from now and then. We never know if LSW becomes a big bust by then. One step at a time. The people over at BigSoccer Korea saying LSW should be playing in the Asian Games now and shit are over-excited. One step at a time…
I don’t know everyone’s exact birthdays so take my age estimates there like they’re supposed to be… they’re just estimates.