‘Goalkeeper captain for the first time in 2410 days’ Kim Seung-gyu’s armband weighed even more
After 2410 days, a goalkeeper wears the captain’s armband. South Korea’s goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu shored up a shaky defense but couldn’t prevent his team from losing.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Jürgen Klinsmann, conceded a goal to Guerrero and lost 0-1 to Peru (ranked 21st in FIFA) in the Hana Bank Invitational National Team Friendly at the Busan Asiad Stadium at 8 p.m. on April 16.
The South Koreans struggled from the start of the match. A new combination in the back line was shaky, and they conceded the first goal to Guerrero in the 10th minute. From there, the South Korean team used Hwang In-beom, Hwang Hee-chan, and Lee Kang-in to attack the Peruvian goal. In the 33rd minute, Lee Kang-in received the ball on the right side of the penalty box and curled his left foot to strike. However, Colombia’s goalkeeper Gajeuse was able to save it.메이저놀이터
In the 10th minute of the second half, South Korea introduced Cho Kyu-sung and Hong Hyun-seok to change the offense. Korea continued to attack using the left and right flanks. In the 27th minute, Hwang Hee-chan used his quick feet to break down the left flank. He sent a cross into the box, where Lee Kang-in rushed in and headed it in, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper. In the 31st minute, Lee Kang-in’s cross from the right flank was met by Cho Kyu-sung, who rose to head it just wide of the goal. South Korea added Hwang Eui-jo, Na Sang-ho, and Park Kyu-hyun to the attack in an attempt to turn the game around, but the match ended scoreless.
Captain Son Heung-min was unable to take the field due to the aftermath of his sports hernia surgery. For this reason, Kim Seung-gyu started the game as captain. It was the first time in 2410 days that a goalkeeper had worn the captain’s armband for the South Korean national team since Kwon Soon-Tae in the November 2016 exhibition match against Canada.
In a pre-match interview, Klinsmann said, “The most important thing in the national team is continuity and continuity. I hope players like Kim Seung-kyu can show continuity with good leadership. There are many unexpected changes in the defense line. But we have Kim Seung-kyu,” and expressed his expectations.
In response, Kim Seung-kyu said, “I’m playing with a different defense line than usual. At times like this, we need to finish well. I’ll try to keep a clean sheet,” and his confidence was reflected on the pitch. In the fifth minute of the first half, Paolo Guerrero’s curling right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty box was cleared off the line with a one-handed save. However, the crisis came in the 10th minute when a pass from the left flank found Reina, who struck the ball hard into the top right corner for the goal.
After the goal, Kim Seung-gyu continued to shout at the defense. His shouting brought stability to the defense, which was shaky in the first half. In the second half, there were several dangerous shots, but they were well defended. Once the defense settled down, South Korea was able to be more aggressive. However, they couldn’t find the back of the net, and Kim Seung-gyu, who earned his first captain’s armband, could only take solace in the fact that they didn’t concede another goal.