Lee Kang-in (22-PSG), who recently moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), is expected to be selected by Hwang Sun-hong to play in the Asian Games.토토사이트
The Korean Football Association (KFA) announced on 13 March that “the final entry for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games will be announced on 14 March at 2pm at the Jongno Football Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul,” and that “a press conference will be held by coach Hwang Sun-hong”. The KFA has 15 days to submit the list to the Asian Olympic Committee (OCA), which organises the Games, and has reportedly already done so.
The Asian Games were originally scheduled to be held last year but were postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The age limit of 23 and under was also extended to 24 and under (born in 1999). The team is expected to include the runners-up from the 2019 U-20 World Cup in Poland, including Uhm Won-sang (Ulsan Hyundai), Cho Young-wook (Gimcheon Commerce), Ko Jae-hyun (Daegu FC) and Choi Jun (Busan IPark). Europeans Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart) and Hong Hyun-seok (Ghent) are also likely to join.
Head coach Hwang Sun-hong. /Photo=Korea Football Association
Lee Kang-in, who recently signed a five-year contract with PSG.
The big question is whether Lee will make the squad. The 22-year-old, born in 2001, has yet to fulfil his military service obligation. If he wins a gold medal at the Asian Games, he will only have to undergo basic military training for about a month. Europeans Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Kim Min-jae (Napoli) benefited from military service after winning the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. Kim arrived in South Korea immediately after the end of last season and joined the army’s Nonsan Training Centre, where he completed three weeks of basic military training and was discharged on 6 June.
Lee’s participation in the Asian Games requires PSG’s ‘permission’. This is because the Asian Games and the Olympics are not mandatory FIFA events. In the case of the World Cup and Confederations Cup, players can play without their clubs’ consent according to FIFA regulations.
PSG officially announced the signing of Lee on 9 September. He has signed a five-year contract until 2028. Lee took part in PSG’s first pre-season training session on 11 November (local time) and greeted his teammates. He was spotted chatting to new signing Luca Hernandez and sharing a massage bed with star striker Neymar.
Lee Kang-in (left) and Neymar. /Photo: PSG official website video compilation.
Lee Kang-in greets his teammates at the PSG training ground. /Photo: PSG official website image gallery
Lee’s buyout clause is reportedly worth €17 million ($24.2 billion). If he plays in the Asian Games, PSG will have to play without him for around two months, despite spending a lot of money. This makes it difficult to let him go unconditionally. PSG may want to use the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics as a wildcard for the next Asian Games.
With his attacking versatility, Hwang is likely to use Lee in an attacking midfield or flanker role if he makes the squad. He is expected to form a good attacking synergy with Uhm Won-sang, Chung Woo-young and Cho Young-wook.
Lee last played for Hwangseon Hongho at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup in March last year. The team topped their group, beating Thailand and Malaysia and drawing with Vietnam before losing to Japan in the quarter-finals. Lee played in three of the four matches and was a solid performer. It will be interesting to see if Lee will join Hwang Sun-hong at the Asian Games, or if he will play in the Ligue 1 during the tournament.
In addition to the selection of Lee, there will also be a lot of interest in the selection of three wildcards (players over the age of 24). Coach Hwang Sun-hong had previously said that he would consider players for frontline strikers, central midfielders and central defenders. K League 1’s top scorer Lee In-gyu and Seol Young-woo, who recently made his A-match debut, are on the radar. Midfielder Baek Seung-ho and centre-back Park Jin-seop are also in the running.
South Korea is a five-time Asian Games champion. They won back-to-back gold medals from Incheon 2014 to Jakarta-Palembang 2018. There is no precedent for a third consecutive title. Hwang Sun-hong-ho, who boasts a record-breaking roster, will attempt to become the first Korean to win three consecutive titles. The draw for the tournament will take place in Hangzhou on the 27th, but the format of the draw has yet to be decided.