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30 July 2021
Lee Kang-in and South Korea, at the Games of doubts
After two wins in three games in the first round, South Korea secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games by finishing top of their group. However, questions remain around the Taeguk Warriors and in particular their playmaker passed through the Tournament 2018, Lee Kang-in.
Ten goals scored, only one conceded, two wins in three games and a first place in the group. On paper, South Korea had a near-perfect group stage at the Tokyo Olympics. But sometimes results should no be taken as the only truth. By qualifying for the quarter-finals, South Korea's goal was certainly achieved. But in Seoul, as elsewhere in Korea, questions are being asked. The team's embarrassing 1-0 loss to New Zealand on the first day of the tournament and their often sterile play are the reasons for this, as Baptiste Mouragal, a journalist for Lucarne Opposée and a specialist in South Korean football, explains. "They took a severe beating against the New Zealanders when this was considered as the easiest game. They were completely out of their depth and didn't show anything, they couldn't break down the opposition's defensive block. And New Zealand scored on their only chance of the game. That shook them up a bit and coach Kim Hak-Beom was heavily criticised in the media". Korea then bounced back with two big wins over Romania (4-0) and Honduras (6-0), but the doubts did not go away, with observers focusing on the weakness of the teams they faced.
At the heart of the debate was the inevitable Lee Kang-in. A real star in South Korea, the attacking midfielder has been the focus of questions, compliments but also critics. Although he scored three goals in the group stage, the Valencia player did not have the expected influence on his team's play, even prompting his coach to reposition him... or even to do without him. "He changed his role after the first game, explains Baptiste Mourigal. Against New Zealand, he was the playmaker in a 4-2-3-1, but it didn't work. It wasn't totally his fault, his teammates didn't offer many solutions either. He then started the second and third games on the bench. And when he came on, he played as a false nine, so he was more present in front and near the box."
생일축하해요 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗲 🥳
— Tournoi Maurice Revello (@TournoiMRevello) February 19, 2021
The @valenciacf midfielder turns 2⃣0⃣ today 🎂
This is why he won the Special Prize at the 2018 Tournament with South Korea 🇰🇷⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LLD7GlSKuX
"He's trained to be a great player"
A more attacking position in which "he seems more in his element" according to the journalist, and where Lee Kang-in should regain a starting place this Saturday against Mexico in the quarterfinals. As usual, the player who passed through the Maurice Revello Tournament 2018 will be scrutinised. The light will have to shine from his talented feet, otherwise a torrent of criticism, which the South Korean press likes to indulge in, will await him. "He is constantly in the news, every Valencia game is watched just for him. His recent news has been busy too, between the transfer rumours, the affair surrounding his Spanish naturalisation wanted by the Spanish club... He is constantly being watched, and that certainly plays into his way of being."
Lee Kang-in against Jeando Fuchs during the Maurice Revello Tournament 2018
Among the criticisms levelled at the barely 20-year-old player was his extreme self-confidence, which some saw as arrogance. "We saw him at the Tournament, the only thing he wanted was to win, recalls Baptiste Mourigal. He's a bit of a spoilt child who gets angry when he loses, but he's trained to be a future great player and when things don't work out the way he wants, it's mentally complicated for him. He is a star in his country. The fact that he plays in La Liga, that he's young, that he's the runner-up at the U20 World Cup and that he's already been called up to the senior team means that people talk about him a lot. There's a lot of pressure around him, but it's commensurate with his enormous qualities". Lee Kang-in, who is still in his early twenties, is used to it. The winner of the Maurice Revello Tournament 2018 Special Prize will be expected to receive no half measures: it will be criticism or praise. Once again.
Mathieu Lauricella
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