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| 김천 이승원. Photo (Gwangju) = Yoon Jin-man Reporter Yoon Jin-man@sportschosun.com |
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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 Seung-won is trying to break through. Yongin = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.11/ |
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After just two years, a slender prospect with a pathetic face 'Cheongdae (youth representative)' has shed his boyhood and grown into a 'National Team (national team)' midfielder. This is the story of sergeant Lee Seung-won (22, Gimcheon), who Kimcheon Sangmu coach Chung Jung-yong described as the `treasure of Korean soccer.'
Lee Seung-won made his name by helping the Korean national team advance to the semifinals with his explosive performance of three goals, the most in the team, at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina in 2023. Soccer fans cheered at the emergence of the next generation of midfielders who have a strong activity, a wide range of activities, and sharp kick power. Lee Seung-won won the Bronze Ball, the third best player, and was expected to succeed Lee Kang-in (24, Paris Saint-Germain), who won the Golden Ball in the previous 2019 tournament. Lee Seung-won, who started his professional career by joining Gangwon in 2023. But the professional wall was higher than I thought. He played only 13 K League 1 games in his first season. It was the epitome of U-22 resources that were used as starters and replaced without fail. Lee Seung-won, who met after an away game against Gwangju in the 23rd round of the K-League on the 22nd, said, `There was a big difference between the national team by age and the K-League. When I came to the professional program, I felt that I was lacking while bumping into my older brothers. I tried to find a direction to develop in it"I looked back.
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| photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association |
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| photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association |
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He joined the Armed Forces Sports Unit at the early age of 21 early last year to make a career rebound. As a result, it was an excellent choice. Lee Seung-won, who has honed his skills and improved his mental strength in an environment where he can only think of soccer, exploded in coach Chung's full trust this year. He played in all 23 league games this season and led Gimcheon's top-ranked boom with his more profitable performance. At the same time, he caught the eye of A national team coach Hong Myung-bo and made his A-match debut through the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship in 2025. It's a dream day by day. Lee Seung-won said "Thanks to coach Jung's position in which I can do well, the number of touches of the ball has increased, and he is showing the same advantages as the amount of activity."I always feel responsible for playing as a starter. Trying to be helpful to the team."
The A national team, which gathered the best players in Korea, gave a fresh shock to Lee Seung-won. Lee Seung-won said "When I ran into him, I found that I was not good enough. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't show all my abilities, but it was a good experience just to go to the national team." In addition, "We are achieving our goals one by one. I'm trying to get as much as I can for the rest of my military life. When I return to Gangwon after being discharged from the military in October, I will try to show good performance there, and I feel that I have to manage my condition well in order to be consistently selected for the national team."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
