Lee Kang-in (22) trained with his teammates in a friendly atmosphere.
The South Korean national soccer team (ranked 26th in FIFA), coached by Jürgen Klinsmann, will take on Tunisia (ranked 29th in FIFA) at 8 p.m. on Oct. 13 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. The team will then face Vietnam (ranked 95th in FIFA) in an exhibition match on October 17.
Lee was called up to the Klinsmann Cup in March and June. However, he was unable to join the squad for the September A match due to a quadriceps injury. After rehabilitation at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Lee made his comeback in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage first leg against Dortmund on Sept. 20 (KST), giving hope for the future.
He then traveled to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he played five games and impressed with his pressing, quality passing, and great movement. Considering that he was not at 100% due to injury, he completed his mission by winning an emotional gold medal with his team.
After being named to the A-match roster in October, Lee returned to Korea and headed to the Paju NFC (National Football Team Training Center), where he proved to be a hit with fans at the open training session on the 10th. Lee was even presented with a bouquet of flowers by one fan.
On the 12th, the press was given the opportunity to observe the training for over 20 minutes. The full squad, including Son Heung-min, warmed up individually for three minutes before moving to a shaded area for stretching and other exercises led by physical coach Werner Reutart.
The final drill for the press was the rondo (ball spinning). The players were divided into three groups. Son Heung-min, Hwang Eui-jo, Kim Jin-soo, Moon Sun-min, Kim Young-kwon, Kim Tae-hwan, and Lee Ki-jae completed the first group; Hwang Hee-chan, Cho Kyu-sung, Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom, Jung Seung-hyun, Park Yong-woo, and Lee Sun-min completed the second group; and finally, Lee Kang-in, Oh Hyun-gyu, Kim Joo-sung, Jung Woo-young, Hong Hyun-seok, Seol Young-woo, and Lee Jae-sung completed the third group.
The last group was made up of the youngest members, with the exception of Lee Jae-sung (31). Lee Kang-in (22), Oh Hyun-gyu (22), Kim Joo-sung (22), Jung Woo-young (24), Hong Hyun-seok (24), and Seol Young-woo (24) continued the rondo in a bright atmosphere. At this time, Lee Kang-in’s fighting spirit could be heard several times. Lee led the group by saying “jump, jump” and “one, two, three”.
He also threw a fit when he didn’t like a scene: “No!”, “I’m not doing it!”, “I’m not doing it!”, and showed a deadly enthusiasm. 스포츠토토
Although it was a short period of time, Lee Kang-in’s body movements definitely looked light, and it is expected that he will be able to handle the next two games without any problems.