“All K League fans will be happy”
“I think all K-League fans will be happy to see Kim Jong-kyu named to the national team.”
A 0.1 percent miracle. The K League’s leading goalie, Lee Min-kyu (34-Ulsan HD), has finally earned the Korean flag. K-League fans also sent congratulatory messages.
Hwang Sun-hong (56), the interim head coach of the A national team, held a press conference at 11 a.m. on March 11 at the Football Hall located in Sinmun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to announce the March roster. The final 23-man roster was announced, with a number of key members of the Qatar Asian Cup 2023 squad, including Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham), Kim Min-jae (28, Bayern Munich) and Lee Kang-in (23, Paris Saint-Germain), among other notable names. For the first time in his career, Kim In-gyu was named to the national team.
The 1990-born player earned his first taegeuk at the age of 33 years, 333 days. According to the Korea Football Association, he is the oldest player in the history of the South Korean national soccer team to earn a call-up to the A team. The previous record was held by Song Jong-hyun (32 years and 131 days – then with the Jeonnam Dragons) in 2008 under Heo Jung-moo. When he makes his debut for the A team in March, he will also set the record for the oldest debutant in history.
He’s one of the best strikers in the K League, but he’s been unlucky when it comes to the national team. In the K League, there is no player like him. He scored 22 goals in the 2021 season and 17 last year. In 2022, he lost the top spot to Cho Kyu-sung, but he finished with the same 17 goals. However, former national team managers such as Paulo Bento and Jürgen Klinsmann never picked him. In response to his continued rejection, he said last year that he had “0.1% expectation” of being selected for the national team. In the opening match against Pohang Steelers this season, he was also cautious, saying, “I’m expecting 0.1 percent more, even though it’s coach Hwang Sun-hong.” But Hwang is different from his predecessor. In March, he selected Lee Min-kyu to the A-Match squad.
On that day, Hwang explained his selection, saying, “I observed the K League and had many players in mind who were in good shape. We need to select the best players and give the best performance. I made the decision after careful consideration with the coaching staff. There are many factors in soccer, but I think scoring goals is a different factor. Inhabi-Gyu has scored more than 50 goals in three years in the K League 1, and there are no other players like him. I don’t need to say more,” he said.
Just like his selection to the national team, his soccer career has been one of ups and downs. He is considered one of the best stand-in players in the K League. In 2013, he was not selected in the K League Draft. After his initial disappointment, he joined Goyang HIFC as an undrafted player. Up until this point, he had been playing as a defensive midfielder, but after switching to the forward 토토 position, he excelled. He went on to play for Seoul E-Land, Ulsan HD, and Jeju United before returning to Ulsan HD, where he continues to show off his scoring prowess.
K-League fans know this story well, and when the news broke that he had been selected to the national team, they congratulated him. Ulsan HD fans posted congratulatory comments on the club’s social media, and fans of other teams shared the same sentiment. “I think all K-League fans will be happy to see In-Jin Gyu named to the national team,” wrote one fan. “I applaud you,” wrote another, who identified himself as a Daegu FC fan.
South Korea will play Thailand in a two-game series. They will play the third match of the second qualifying round at home on Sept. 21 at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The fourth match on June 26 will be held at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. South Korea, which is in Group C in the second round of North and Central American World Cup qualifying, leads the group with a 2-0 record. If South Korea can win both games against Thailand, they will virtually assure themselves of qualifying. Thailand is second in the group with one win and one loss (3 points).