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| The men's soccer final match between the Korean national soccer team and Japan at the Hangzhou Asian Games was held at Huanglong Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, China on the 7th. The national soccer team won the gold medal with a 2-1 victory over Japan. Baek Seung-ho, who received the gold medal at the ceremony. Hangzhou (China) = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2023.10.07/ |
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"We will promote with Birmingham City."
Baek Seung-ho (28, Birmingham City) made the right choice. Birmingham defeated Peterborough United 2-1 in the 41st round of the 2024-2025 England League One (third division) at London Road Stadium in Peterborough, England on the 9th (Korea time). With 29 wins, eight draws and three losses, 95 points, he widened the gap with third-place Wickham Wanderers (78 points), who played one more game to 17 points, securing at least second place and securing promotion to the championship (second division) next season. In League One, the top 1st and 2nd places will be promoted directly, and the 3rd and 6th places will play the promotion playoff.
With this, Baek returned to the championship in one season. Baek Seung-ho, who played in Jeonbuk for three consecutive seasons, joined Birmingham, then the second division, in January last year, but suffered a bad luck of being relegated to the third division after the team was sluggish. Some criticized him saying, `Does it make sense for a national midfielder to play in the third division?' Love calls from multiple championship clubs flew through the winter transfer market. However, Birmingham, which has the strongest funding power in League One, has set a policy of 'no transfer' to key midfielder Baek Seung-ho. In October last year, he showed enthusiasm to renew his contract with an annual salary that is difficult to see in League One.
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| Source=Birmingham City SNS Capture |
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| Source=Birmingham City SNS Capture |
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After receiving a love call from multiple championship clubs in the winter transfer market in January, Paik settled down with Birmingham's 'sincere'. "The coaches, my teammates, always make me a better player," he said through the club when he re-signed until June 2028. "We all believe that Birmingham can win this season. I want to help him get promoted this season, and I want to help him dream bigger." He worked hard to win League One and promote the team directly.
Baek kept his promise with a dedicated performance. He played in 35 of the team's 40 League One games (32, 1 goal, 2 assists) and kept the midfield firmly. He boasted the best combination with Tomoki Iwata, a midfielder of the same age from Japan. Baek Seung-ho, who returned to his team with a minor injury during the A-match period in March, replaced Mark Leonard in the 17th minute of the second half against Peterborough, who confirmed his promotion, and played for about 28 minutes, helping his team win.
Since his Barcelona youth days, Baek Seung-ho has always had ups and downs in the process of entering the K League through Darmstadt. FIFA's disciplinary action, the COVID-19 pandemic, and unexpected injuries have hampered Paik Seung-ho. Because he cried often, he earned the nickname 'Crying Boy' Baek Seung-ho, who achieved a major rebound in his career through the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games gold medal held in 2023, achieved his dream of re-entering Europe by joining Birmingham and completed the promotion drama in more than a year. Baek Seung-ho, who is performing his promotion ceremony in front of an away fan, was full of smiles. He also left a picture with his teammate Lee Myung-jae.
Promoted to the Championship with Birmingham is a better option as a result than moving to another Championship club. Baek Seung-ho played a key role in Birmingham-based build-up-oriented possession soccer. Birmingham is in the mood to strengthen its players on a large scale next season with its strong financial power, but coach Davis is likely to set up a team centered on Baek Seung-ho. In addition, he has already stayed in Birmingham for about a season and a half and completed his adaptation, so there is no need to adapt to the new environment.
The case where Baek Seung-ho is consistently selected for the national team as a member of the third division suggests a lot. No matter how much they belong to the third division, it is important what role the player plays in it, what position they maintain, and what the team's vision is. Baek Seung-ho aims to be promoted to the Premier League a year later according to the 「Birmingham Plan」, which will be promoted to the Premier League in 2026.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
