KPA Roundup Aug 19-22 / Kwon Chang-Hoon scores for Dijon [video]

Fashionably late yet again, but just in time to include some midweek League Cup action, let’s go straight to Korean Footballers Abroad for the weekend recap:

Lee Chung Yong — [Edit by Tavern Owner] yesterday at Ipswich Town (League Cup). Surprisingly to me, completely out of the match day squad last weekend (seeing as Wilfried Zaha is out with a knee injury)…Lee Chung-Yong’s manager Freedman returning as CP’s new manager) makes his future all a bit of a mystery. Lee came on for Kaikai in the 75th minute and contributed to a late goal scoring rally as CP fended off Ipswich 2:1. 

Ki Sung Yueng — Out injured for yesterday’s cup match vs MK Dons and was similarly out last weekend.

Koo Ja Cheol — Played 90 in a safe CM role for Augsburg. By that I mean he only had one incomplete pass (according to Bundesliga, a few more on whoscored) and did ok defensively but had almost no impact going forward with seemingly all of his passes going sideways. A very disappointing loss vs. a beatable Hamburg side. With Stafilydis about to leave as well, this team looks doomed to relegation.

Ji Dong Won — Baum said he was available, but he wasn’t a full participant in training midweek so we’ll see if health or preference for his absence from squad. He appears to have another minor knick today today in training though.

Kwon Chang Hoon — I missed the first fifteen or so, but started off on the right but also played CF and 2nd forward for the middle portion of the match, before ODO shifted tactics late in the match and KCH stayed out wide. His passes were pretty poor but he stayed aggressive throughout and was involved in nearly all of Dijon’s good attacks. When he did play centrally, he fought hard though doesn’t have a forward’s instincts. His general aggression was rewarded with a goal when he reacted first to a deflected save, and his creative pass in traffic freed Sliti to earn match-leveling PK. Hopefully KCH is earning the trust of ODO as he contributes strongly even when off his A game.

Son Heung Min — Came on as a sub originally as an attacking LW and then shifting a bit back into a left midfielder role but all was for naught as Son didn’t get many touches of the ball as Tottenham started to lose control of the match in the middle. It looked a bit awkward when everyone was standing around and yet Son wasn’t able to beat Chelsea’s defender one on one. I’m sure we’ll see more of Son in upcoming week when Pochettino not as concerned about defusing Conte’s tactics.

Tavern Owner back. Thanks to Korean Footballers Abroad for the recap + midweek update. One more KPA to add, Hwang Hee-Chan rested for a Sunday home match for RB Salzburg against St Polten (last week had a midweek EL playoff game in which he scored). Hwang got in on the action after entering in the 73rd minute, getting a late 89th minute goal as Salzburg’s demolished St Polten 5:1.

Lets take a quick look at Kwon’s goal:

 

As Korean Footballers Abroad noted, while he wasn’t on his best game, his bold aggressiveness, good instincts to be near the right place at the right time for a possible rebound – got him in position to notch his first goal of the season.  Kwon has been impressive for Dijon thus far, has been one of their better players.  He actually should have had his first goal last week if it wasn’t for a bad call for offsides. More goals please!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMvnMetUwds

Hwang continues to get on the scoreline for RB Salzburg. This isn’t a spectacular goalazo per se, but it’s illustrative of Hwang’s clinicalness (if that isn’t an official word – then I just coined a new one and I’m trademarking that).  The KNT will need some of that in spades from Hwang against Iran next week.

 

One more note: Son might be forgiven for not being as dynamic against Cheslea, seeing as he’s still in an arm brace (that and Wanyama’s give away led to the late Chelsea victory). What that means for the KNT is that Son can contribute next wednesday vs Iran but it’ll be questionable as far as Son’s ability to be aggressively up front.  This is where Hwang can possibly be the ace in the hole for Shin Tae-Yong.

 

Extra Time: Good news / Bad news for Park Joo-Ho.  He was injured in a BVB II match, but more importantly became a father again.

 

Congratulations and Good luck to you Park Joo-Ho- let’s hope his future gets sorted out in the near future.

 

And this just in:

 

Suk Hyun-Jun is in ‘football limbo,’ since falling out of favor at Porto. The ex-Ajax man was linked to what looked to be a potential lifeline transfer to Troyes AC, a Ligue 1 club.  Cross yer fingers on this one, might be another bumpy roller coaster ride for the journeyman.

 

Korea’s Womens National Team will visit the United States to face the USWNT in October, a pair of friendlies on Oct 19 in New Orleans Superdome (6pm EST / TV coverage on FS1) and Oct 22 in Cary NC (WakeMed Soccer Park) 2 p.m. ET / TV coverage ESPN. Tickets have gone on sale, check USsoccer.com  

The last time Korea visited the US, it was a World Cup tuneup in New Jersey in 2015 and Korea impressively drew 0-0 with the eventual World Cup winners.  Several weeks later, Korea advanced from their group for the first time in the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada.

 

One more weekend of European games before the international break – stay tuned for the crucial Korea v Iran WCQ as Korea bids for a 9th consecutive World Cup appearance. Korea is hanging precariously in 2nd just barely in front of Uzbekistan.  Iran is already through.

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