"Lee Chang-min is a very sincere player and a player who doesn't need words."
It is a high praise from Jeju SK FC coach Kim Hak-beom. In the 23rd round of the K League 1 on the 23rd, Seoul's Park Sung-hoon scored a come-from-behind goal and Lee Chang-min's toes flashed in the 16th minute of the second half when Jeju was trailing 1-2. 'Exclusive' A picturesque free-kick goal was scored. The game was brought back to square one, and Lim Chang-woo's theater goal was scored, and Jeju won 3-2. Captain Lee Chang-min is at the center of Jeju's three-game winning streak against Seoul. Lee Chang-min also scored a goal in the second half of the away game in Seoul on May 31 to lead the team to a 3-1 victory. The free-kick trajectory was also strange on this day. He fired confident shots as he had practiced since three days ago. "From the moment I put my foot on it, I predicted a goal."Even so, he gave credit to his colleagues. "(Im) Thanks to Cha Min-hyung and the players standing on the screen wall covering the goalkeeper's view well,' he said.
Head coach Kim Hak-beom expressed his absolute trust in Lee Chang-min with 'Captain'. "He's a sincere player and doesn't need words. He is really good at self-management. "After being discharged, my body is not yet fully recovered. It's 70 to 80 percent. I expected that if my body comes up faster and is more disciplined, I will show better performance.
In response to Kim's praise, Lee Chang-min said, `The coach trusts not only me but also the players a lot. There's nothing to say. Only one thing, the coach only says something when players play without confidence. Other than that, he encourages me to do whatever I want. I'm grateful for the part that always prepares a lot for the players and makes them comfortable." Lee Chang-min nodded to Kim's physical condition, which he said was 70-80%. "There's still a part to be refined, and it's important how quickly you fill that 20% and how much you're going to come out of the rest of the game." "I think I'm getting used to the tempo little by little, but I still have a long way to go. I have my own greed and goals. It is still not enough to achieve that goal." When asked about my own goal, Lee Chang-min smiled meaningfully. "I will hold it with my heart only, with my heart only, and challenge it with my heart only."
Lee Chang-min emphasized 'Winning Mentality' as the reason for Jeju's rebound, which rose to 8th place with 3 consecutive wins against Seoul (2 wins and 1 draw). "The director is always talking about winning mentality as well. You need a mindset that wants to move forward, not a mindset like a loser. If you weren't confident before, now you don't hide to do something, and the team, not individuals, is the power to lead this performance."
The past two matches against Seoul and the match against Seoul on the day were different. The new combination of Lingard and Andersson was on the rise, and in the second half, Moon Seon-min and three other players were put in at once, but Jeju's defense line was not shaken. Lee Chang-min said, `When such players come in, the offensive part definitely improves, but defensively, they feel burdened. So I thought if we prepared well defensively a little bit, we would be able to harass the opponent more."
The secret of Jeju, the only team that won three consecutive games for Seoul this season, is its defensive organization. Lee Chang-min said "The coach informed me about Seoul's movements and individual characteristics through video meetings, and thanks to the players' awareness, acceptance, and self-preparedness."
K Leaguer (28 goals and 27 assists in 252 games), who played at the center of Shin Tae-yong at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and Lee Chang-min, who was born in 1994, have been active in Jeju since 2016. After experiencing the joys, sorrows, and sorrows of youth in windy Jeju, the center became stronger. No matter how hard it is, I have never given up my dream of soccer. Immediately after returning from his mandatory military service at the K4 Geoje Citizens' Soccer Team in 2023, he kicked the captain's armband again this season. As the original intention was shining, he continues to perform unchanged today. Lee Chang-min said, `The part that needs to be maintained at the beginning but encourage younger players and give better feedback has changed. It's a position where I have to set an example in the team, so I feel a bit of pressure, but I'm enjoying playing soccer because the team atmosphere is good," he said with a smile.
After rising to 8th place on the day, head coach Kim Hak-beom said, `We have to keep up until we catch up"'Witong' around his desire to leap to the top of the list. Captain Lee Chang-min also looked higher.
When asked about the remaining 10 regular league games, individual goals and team goals, Lee Chang-min answered clearly. "My personal goal is to become a player who can think that way by hearing that he has always improved from last year, not as much as last year, rather than an attack point." Team goals have a ranking that the coach expects and a ranking that the players want to go to. "First of all, the goal is to make sure that we can look at the top five to the second or third place as much as possible before the third round is over."
Jeju will try to win three consecutive away games at 7 p.m. on the 26th in Gimcheon, round 24 of the K League 1.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
