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| The E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) match between South Korea and Hong Kong at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 11th. Kang Sang-yoon is cheering after scoring the first goal. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.11/ |
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| The E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) match between South Korea and Hong Kong at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 11th. Lee Ho-jae is cheering after scoring an additional goal. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.11/ |
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The players who shone in the overall frustrating Hong Kong match were Kang Sang-yoon (21, Jeonbuk) and Lee Ho-jae (25, Pohang).
Kang broke the frustrating 0 trend in the second round of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) against Hong Kong at 8 p.m. on the 11th at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province. In the 27th minute of the first half, Kang Sang-yoon, who received a forward pass from Seo Min-woo in the middle of the penalty area, cut the net with a sensational right foot shot while turning his back on the defender.
His bold judgment of the situation and high-accuracy shots that cut through the corner of the goal resembled Park Ji-sung. Moreover, it was even more meaningful as Park Ji-sung scored a goal with the number 13 that he wore when he was at Manchester United. Kang Sang-yoon was praised for having both Park Ji-sung and Lee Jae-sung's strengths.
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| The E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) match between South Korea and Hong Kong at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 11th. Kang Sang-yoon is trying to break through. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.11/ |
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| The E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) match between South Korea and Hong Kong at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 11th. Kang Sang-yoon is scoring the first goal. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.11/ |
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| The E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) match between South Korea and Hong Kong at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 11th. Kang Sang-yoon is cheering with his teammates after scoring the first goal. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.11/ |
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Kang Sang-yoon played the role of a right striker in the 3-4-3 formation in the game, which changed all 11 digits compared to the last match against China (3-0 win), but he played with a narrow inside when the wingback was involved in the attack. With its unique overflowing energy and wide range of activities, it played a role as a lubricant by crossing the airlift. At the end of the second half, he moved to the left.
After Kang Sang-yoon scored, South Korea showed an overwhelming difference in skills with Hong Kong, but failed to score an additional goal. The comparison with Japanese soccer, which defeated Hong Kong 6-1, was inevitable.
However, the national team sealed a solid second half. In the 22nd minute, Lee Ho-jae rushed to score a cross from the left side to the gate by substitute Moon Sun-min. Lee Ho-jae, who had no chance to score in his A-match debut, scored his debut goal in his second game, just like Kang Sang-yoon.
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| The E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) match between South Korea and Hong Kong at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 11th. Lee Ho-jae is attacking. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.11/ |
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| The E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) match between South Korea and Hong Kong at Yongin Mir Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 11th. Lee Ho-jae is with Moon Seon-min after scoring an additional goal. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.11/ |
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The goal on this day was meaningful not only for Lee Ho-jae but also for Korean soccer. Lee Ho-jae is the son of director Yen Ben Rongding, 'Canon Shooter' Lee Ki-hyung. Coach Lee played 47 A matches as a fullback during his active career and scored six goals. He scored multiple goals against Nepal in October 2003, his last A match. Lee Ho-jae, who was a newborn child at the time, grew up and scored in the A-match following his father's footsteps for the first time in 21 years and 9 months. South Korea won 2-0 with Lee Ho-jae's goal to lead the tournament with two wins.
The national team has been reducing its vacuum since the departure of a star who has been famous for the times such as Park Ji-sung and Park Chu-young. The appearance of an all-weather midfielder who can show off the same energy as Park Ji-sung and score a decisive goal and a striker who can finish on the front line following the lineage of a large striker in the past is always welcome. Kang Sang-yoon is the youngest among the 26 players on the East Asian Cup list, and Lee Ho-jae is 10 years younger than fellow national team striker Joo Min-kyu (Daejeon).
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
