Seong-jin Kang scored a great goal and led the Korean U20 men’s national soccer team to two consecutive victories in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) group stage.
On the 5th (Korean time) at the JAR Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Korea won the 2023 AFC U20 Asian Cup Group C second leg against Jordan 2-0.
Compared to the first game, Korea, which changed 7 players, could not easily solve the game that day. Facing Korea, the strongest team in the group, Jordan placed five players in the midfield and cut off Korea’s offensive development. In the end, Korea only managed to record 4 shots in the first half, focusing on mid-range shots, and failed to score.
Manager Kim Eun-joong quickly used a replacement card in the second half to turn the atmosphere around. After that, the frequency of shooting increased, and eventually Korea scored the first goal in the 20th minute of the second half. Jordan’s goalkeeper, who came out of the goal, failed to handle the ball properly, and Bae Joon-ho shook the net with an accurate shot.
The second goal widened the gap in the 26th minute of the second half. The main scorer was Kang Seong-jin, who destroyed the opponent with tremendous play. Kang Seong-jin, who caught the ball below the half-line, quickly crossed over to the opponent’s half and drove the ball from the right side of the field to the center. Three Jordan players followed in succession, but they advanced to the vicinity of the penalty box without losing the ball. He then tried to finish with a left-footed mid-range shot, and the shot hit the left corner of the goal.
Even in the first game, he scored a goal to end the victory through individual skills. In the 1st minute of added time in the second half of the match against Oman, he passed the opposing defender from the right side of the penalty box, moved to the center, and scored with a left-footed shot. 안전놀이터
Seongjin Kang is one of the most noteworthy players in this tournament. He is already familiar to fans as he is the most experienced of the U20 national team players. In 2021, at the age of 18, he signed a semi-professional contract with FC Seoul and made his K-League debut. Before he turned 20, he already played in 48 K-League 1 matches (2 goals and 6 assists). Last year, he was called up by former Korea Men’s National Soccer Team coach Paulo Bento and made his A team debut as well. He played in two matches of the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship and scored a multi-goal against Hong Kong, also scoring his A-match debut goal.
Kang Seong-jin, who scored two goals in a row, will challenge for three goals in a row in the third match. The third match against Tajikistan will be held at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent at 9:00 pm on the 8th.