Sophisticated Finishing, International Player! Baek Seung-ho Explodes His First Goal Of The Season! Full-time + highest rating Birmingham, 10 wins and 3 games undefeated by Oxford

Aug 24, 2025

APYonhap News

'National University Midfielder'Baek Seung-ho scored the most powerful goal of the season.

Baek Seung-ho started in the third round of the English Championship (second division) in the 2025-2026 season against Oxford United at St. Andrews Stadium in Birmingham, England on the 23rd (Korea time) and showed great performance. Baek Seung-ho showed his best performance, scoring the winning goal in the 40th minute of the first half. It was Baek's first goal of the season. Birmingham won 1-0 with Baek Seung-ho's goal at the forefront. Birmingham, which has been undefeated in three games (two wins and one draw) since the opening, has jumped to fifth place with seven points. Including the Carabao Cup first-round win, it's a four-match unbeaten streak.

Baek Seung-ho played as a central midfielder on the day. Baek Seung-ho made him feel 'up' before the game. He was the first Korean player to be named the English third division (League One) team of the year. The British Professional Footballers Association (PFA) held the PFA Awards on the 20th to honor the best players across England. Baek Seung-ho, wearing a neat suit, was selected as the PFA League One team of the year and walked on the red carpet.

Baek Seung-ho, who left Jeonbuk Hyundai in 2024 and returned to the European stage by joining Birmingham, where he was playing in the championship at the time, stayed after the team was relegated to League One, helping him re-advise for the first time in a season. He played 41 league games as a solid main midfielder, scoring one goal and three assists.

Source=Birmingham City SNS Capture

Birmingham coach Chris Davis prefers soccer, which makes an attack cutely through a build-up from the end, and Baek Seung-ho was praised for his role in receiving the ball in the third line and connecting it to the attack. Birmingham achieved promotion to the championship by winning the championship early with a performance of 'Overwhelming 1st place', with just three losses and 111 points in 46 League One matches.

Birmingham dominated League One team of the year. A total of seven players, including Baek Seung-ho, Japanese midfielder Tomoki Iwata, Jay Stansfield, Ethan Laird, Christophe Claer, Alex Cochrane and Ryan Althorp, were named in this year's team.

Baek Seung-ho is a member of Birmingham who is aiming to be promoted to back-to-back and is also impressive in the 2025-2026 season championship. He started in both of the first two games played by the team and showed extraordinary cheek touches and active movements.

The team drew 1-1 in the opening match against Ipswich Town, allowing a theater goal, but in the second match against Blackburn Rovers on the 16th, Lindon Dykes' theater goal in the eighth minute of second half came from behind to win 2-1. The Birmingham area 'Birmingham Live' gave Baek Seung-ho eight points, the highest rating in the team, in the Birmingham-Blackburn match.

He showed off his extraordinary class once again against Oxford. He scored a fantastic goal in the 40th minute of the first half. Laird broke through the left and attempted a cutback. Baek Seung-ho flew and connected with a shot, which shook the Oxford net as it was. It was his first goal in three league games. He once again confirmed that he is the top player in the championship.

Source=Birmingham City SNS Capture

According to the soccer statistics media 'Foot Mob', Baek Seung-ho recorded 3 shots, 89% pass success rate, 2 chances creation, 9 final-third regional passes, and 6 recoveries in 90 minutes. Footmob gave him an 8.3 rating, second place in the team. Another media outlet 'Sofascore' gave Baek Seung-ho a 7.8 score, which is my highest rating. The Birmingham area 'Birmingham Live' also gave Baek Seung-ho the highest rating in the team, 8.5 points, scoring his first goal of the season with a clean finish, and dominating the midfield by moving more freely than at the beginning of the season' was well received.

England 'BBC'Baek Seung-ho's refined finish played a crucial role in Birmingham's 1-0 win over Oxford. Baek Seung-ho, a midfielder for the Korean national team, said, 'He scored the only goal on the day by connecting the pass well to the goal.

Davis also gave a thumbs up. Speaking to England 'Sky Sports' after the game, Davis said "It wasn't just a goal, it was a scene where perfect skill and judgment stood out. What a great finish. "Since I came here, Baek Seung-ho has always shown a special performance. He's a huge effort, and he's contributing a lot to the team in the midfield. In particular, along with Tomoki Iwata, it plays a big role in supporting the midfield."

"Most players often kick the ball as hard as they can at that position and blow it over the goal. However, Baek Seung-ho saw the empty space and pushed the ball hard, but accurately. He finished it neatly as if he was passing. I think I finished it really calmly and well. "We've recently been discussing how to use Baek Seung-ho from a higher position. He has good skills on both feet and has proven qualities on the international stage. He is certainly an international player.

photo source=Birmingham City SNS

Amid Baek Seung-ho's performance, Birmingham won a pleasant victory. It started with Baek Seung-ho. In the fifth minute of the first half, Baek Seung-ho fired a sharp left-footed shot, but unfortunately missed. Japanese duo Kyogo Furuhashi and Iwata then shot back-to-back. Oxford also responded with a Branagan shot in the 16th minute. In a tight flow, Baek Seung-ho scored the first and final goal.

In the second half, the two teams had a fierce battle, but no more goals were scored. Gray's last chance was lost, and the match ended with a 1-0 victory for Birmingham.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.