First biracial foreign born Korean to rep Korea on the pitch in his first international cap
First KMNT win on U.S. soil
First Red Devils Tailgate Party (ok this may not make Guinness World Records but it’s still super dope)
While it’s not a first for the USMNT to feel like they’re playing away in the U.S., it’s the first time Korean Americans came out such numbers to overwhelm the smaller faction of US supporters at the game
Goals by Son Heung-min and Lee Dong-gyeong take the headlines for the September 6th victory over the Pochetino led US, but Jens Castrop’s first international cap is history in the making as he becomes the first foreign born biracial Korean to don the KNT uniform on the pitch. Jinseok just reminded me that Jang Dae-il is the first biracial Korean to rep the KNT, but the difference is he was born in Korea, whereas Castrop was born in Germany. *Kang Soo-il nearly accomplished that feat nearly a decade ago, hours away from repping Korea, only for personal disaster to strike in the form of a failed medical test.*
Photo: Andres Kudacki/AP
But that’s not all, the sellout attendance of 26,500 at Sports Illustrated Stadium outside NYC might be the biggest outside of Korea to show up in support the Taeguek Warriors en mass. It was a takeover, quite literally. Tavern chief Jinseok Yang was there, he texted that the partisan crowd overwhelmingly was rooting for Team Korea…like close to 90 percent! A number of people posting about it on social media said that number ranged from 70-90%, that account of it being a de facto “home game for the visitors” was verified by the pundits and game day announcers televised live across US television.
This kind of growth of Korean soccer, er football support in the U.S. has been elevated in the past ten years, and it’s down to one man principally: Son Heung-min. I went to a 2011 Man U v Barcelona friendly in D.C., a repeat of the Champions League finals and there were a handful of Park Ji-Sung Korean supporters in the stadium. Sure there was some love for the OG, but that level was nowhere near the energy of support surrounding Son amongst the Korean American community in recent years. Perhaps it’s because Son was so ubiquitous on U.S. televisions with nearly unlimited access and exposure to the Premier League (yea, I know he’s LAFC now, but he was solid Spurs for 10 solid years). Korean media amongst the global football media at large trumpeted the exploits of Son, starting a constant pilgrimage to North London, not just by those on THE peninsula, but by a number of Korean Americans as well hopping across the pond. For so many on Saturday, that was the first any Korean based stateside had ever gotten to see the KNT in the flesh.
There’s also the matter of a TAILGATE – likely the very first Red Devils tailgate party on US soil ever. [Tavern goers in Korea proper, you’ll have to tell me if there’s such a thing as Red Devils Tailgates there before KNT matches, but I’m guessing there’s not since tailgating is an American trad? ]. The party (which Kevin Kim and cohorts put together admirably, 잘했어!) only added to the surreal-ness of the day, combined with what the Tavern Statistician is claiming is the first Korea away win over the USMNT. Journalist Steve Han declared on his IG: “Korean Annexation of State of New Jersey,” showing a stadium of Red Devils support singing loudly.
For you complete-ists: it was Korea’s 2nd win against the US overall in all head to head matches dating back to 2001. That year in December, the first time the two nations faced off, Korea won 1:0.
Before I move onto deconstructing the finer points of the game (likely will get to that tomorrow), just want to stay on this topic of just how remarkable that game was from a Korean American standpoint.
I have to say with envy watching at home -the fact that a Red Devils tailgate party (despite a strong thunderstorm that passed over earlier) was being planned and executed should have been an early warning sign that THIS game was the place to be if you were a Korean football fan in the United States. Or for that matter, if you a Korean – end-of-sentence. It didn’t dawn on me that this could be a Taeguk Warriors takeover of the stadium – until I turned on the tele. Not one, not two, but thousands and thousands of red KNT jerseys (and some white Tottenham tops as well) circled Sports Illustrated stadia, and it was AWESOME to behold. Admittedly surprised, I should have seen it coming. With New York City and New Jersey adjacent, that area is the largest concentration of Korean Americans outside of L.A. Another factor: the USMNT popularity in their own country has mirrored the downward trajectory of the team’s recent form. Add to the equation a long simmering love affair Koreans the world over have had for a certain Son Heung-min, and it naturally resulted in the sea of Red Devils supporters yesterday. That’s not all, to top it all off, mix in an explosive political element; try an ICE raid on a Hyundai factory in Georgia that arrested over 300 Koreans 2 days ago and you got yourself a charged up geopolitical atmosphere of amped up Koreans at an international friendly – woooooooooo!
So it came to be that an away game remarkably turned into a bonafide de facto home game for the Korean National Team. The roar of the crowd after Son scored the opener shook the journalisticos in their boots. Tom Bogart on GolazoAmerica: “When Son scored the opening goal, don’t know if I’ve never heard that stadium louder.”
Just imagine you’re a Korean walking to the gates, ticket in hand, not knowing if anyone else is going to be there. Then hearing the music and seeing the Red Devils in the parking lot, partying in the rain (or under tents). Then seeing the multitudes of 한국 사람 surrounding you. Hearing a whole stadium singing the words to the Aegukga under the video image of the Taeguki flag. For once, there are other Koreans who know a thing or two about Korean footie. Everyone erupting in utter joy, over the fanciful footwork, the incisive passing, the high pressing, the last ditch defending, and finally the cheeky goals. The family just got bigger with the intro of Jens Castrop, welcome to the hood.
Jens Castrop just made history: 1st biracial Korean to represent the Korean national men’s team today in a 0:2 win vs United States. Video credit to Jinseok Yang w/ Tavern of the Taeguk Warriors
I’m running out of time, so I’ll deconstruct with some videos and tactical snapshots just how Hong Myung-bo positioned his team to carry out an experimental 3 back system tomorrow, but for now, I’ll leave you with the official highlights in case you haven’t seen them yet. The goals were sick, the “gegenpressing” was spot on, and the celebrations were mindblowing, stay tuned to the Tavern!
* Extra Time: Kang Soo-il was a biracial Korean footballer who was making strides in the K-League when he was called up to the KNT in 2015. He was hours from making his first cap when he tested positive for a drug that was deemed performance enhancing and he was barred from making the game day roster. It was some kind of minor steroid, but Kang protested as he had used a shaving cream with the banned substance without knowing. The appeal was denied unfortunately.
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