For Hwang Hee-chan, the season of crying is passing by.
Wolverhampton won 2-0 in the fourth round of the English FA Cup in 2024-2025 season against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in Blackburn, England, at 9:30 p.m. on the 9th (Korea time).
After Gary O'Neill was replaced, Hwang Hee-chan seemed to have set the stage for a rebound as Victor Pereira came on. The momentum of the rebound was sufficient because he scored consecutive goals against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Hwang Hee-chan's rebound was a flash. After a series of poor performances against Nottingham Forest, Bristol City and Newcastle United, he was relegated to the bench again. He has lost ground as a replacement against Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa.
In order to change the atmosphere, even if the opponent was Blackburn, that is, a second-tier team, Hwang Hee-chan needed a game to regain his confidence. Hwang Hee-chan was given a chance. Wolverhampton prepared for a 3-4-2-1 formation. Hwang Hee-chan was deployed to the front line.
Matheus Cunha and Gonzalo Guedes were located under Hwang Hee-chan. João Gómez and Jean-Lichner Velegard were in charge of the midfield. The wingbacks were Rodrigo Gomes and Nelsson Semedu. The 300 consisted of Toti Gomes, Mmenu el Agbadu and Santiago Bueno. The goal was defended by Sam Johnstone.
Wolverhampton's first goal came from Hwang Hee-chan's toe. In the 33rd minute of the first half, Wolverhampton succeeded in pressing, and the ball headed to Guedes. Hwang Hee-chan received Guedes' pass in front of the penalty box. Hwang Hee-chan knew Joao Gomes' penetration running to the other side and immediately pushed the pass. João Gómez calmly handled it, leading to the first goal. It was Hwang Hee-chan's first help of the season.
Immediately Wolverhampton's extra goal was scored. This time again, it started with Hwang Hee-chan. When Hwang Hee-chan ran forward, a long pass was connected at once from the back. Hwang Hee-chan handed it over to Cunha. There was a dribbling mistake by Cunha, but immediately Wolverhampton's pass play continued, and the ball headed back to Cunha. Cunha scored when he scored squarely.
Hwang Hee-chan showed his performance to regain confidence by contributing to both goals scored by Wolverhampton.
However, just before the end of the first half, bad news came. Hwang Hee-chan complained of pain as he touched his right hamstring. Toti Gomes watched Hwang Hee-chan and called the medical staff. Hwang Hee-chan's expression was serious. In the end, he collapsed. Hwang Hee-chan's condition did not look good even while the medical staff took measures.
In the end, Hwang Hee-chan had no choice but to finish the game. Hwang Hee-chan went straight into the locker room after being replaced by Pablo Sarabia. Fortunately, Hwang Hee-chan's expression sitting on the bench at the end of the game was not at the level of concern.
The British Express and Star said after the game that "Wolverhampton took a big hit when Hwang Hee-chan was sent off with an injury just before the end of the first half. With Wolverhampton leading 2-0, Hwang Hee-chan looked confused and looked like he was clutching his hamstring." So far, it is not known about the extent of Hwang Hee-chan's injury.
Hwang Hee-chan showed good performance on the day, including one opportunity creation, one shot, one dribble (one attempt), and two passes in the offensive area, but he had no choice but to stop the game in 45 minutes. If he has a hamstring injury, Hwang Hee-chan cannot play again for at least two weeks. Since the annual salary is high in Wolverhampton, fans' complaints will inevitably increase if injuries overlap. This is because the slump this season is quite serious.
In many ways, it is a difficult 2024-2025 season for Hwang Hee-chan. They are racist incidents before the start of the season, rumors of a subsequent move to Marseille, sudden changes in roles, Wolverhampton, a relegation zone crash, injuries and sluggishness, managerial changes, and injuries after sluggishness. In the end, Hwang Hee-chan has no choice but to prove it because it is a professional world. For now, I just hope it's not a big injury.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
