This is the power of the K-League, Lee Dong-kyung, Kim Jin-kyu, and Lee Kang-in, the replacement of the captain Hwang In-beom

Sep 07, 2025

photo courtesy of the Korea Football Association

It was K Leaguer who erased the gap of the core duo of the Korean national soccer team A. Even though the playing stage is different, 'form' shows that a good player can contribute to the national team as much as he wants.

The national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, is leading 2-0 in the 38th minute of the second half through Captain Son Heung-min (LAFC)'s one goal and one assist and Lee Dong-kyung's additional goal in the warm-up match against the U.S. national team at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, at 6 a.m. on the 7th (Korea time).

In response to the possibility of replacing the captain, it can be summed up as Son Heung-min's one-man show who helped the first goal in the 18th minute and the additional goal in the 43rd minute, but the K Leaguers' performance, which filled the void of key players, also left a strong impression.

Lee Dong-kyung started as a right striker in the 3-4-2-1 formation of Hong Myung-bo as a substitute for `Genius Midfielder' Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain). Coach Hong placed Lee Kang-in, who complained of ankle pain in preparation for the U.S. match, on the bench that day, and entrusted Lee Dong-kyung, a left-footed technician like Lee Kang-in, to take the axis of the attack. Lee Kang-in replaced Lee Dong-kyung in the 18th minute of the second half and played for about 27 minutes.

Lee Dong-kyung, who played his 13th A match on the day, boasted his best teamwork in the offense and veteran '92 line', including Son Heung-min, who played his 135th game, and Lee Jae-sung, who played his 99th game. Tactical movements also stood out.

In the 6th minute of the first half, he put pressure deep into the right side of the opponent's camp, blocking the pass of U.S. defender Tim Lim, embarrassing the opponent team.

In the 15th minute, he received Baek Seung-ho's sharp penetration pass and tried to shoot with his right foot rather than his main foot in the penalty box to score the first goal. The ball that left Lee Dong-kyung's foot was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper.

In the process of Lee Dong-kyung's first shot, midfielder Kim Jin-kyu (Jeonbuk) connected the pass to Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City). Kim Jin-kyu took the opportunity as a substitute for Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), who was dropped due to a calf injury. Along with Baek Seung-ho, he played the role of a 'connector' who defended the midfield and distributed all-round passes.

photo courtesy of the Korea Football Association

South Korea led in the 18th minute of the first half when Son Heung-min, who received Lee Jae-sung's penetration pass into the back space, scored the first goal with a calm left-footed shot. And before the end of the first half, he scored an additional goal in the 43rd minute. It was a goal involving Kim Jin-kyu and Lee Dong-kyung. Kim Jin-kyu, who caught the ball in the opponent's final third area, pretended to go to the back and turned toward the opponent's goal and quickly beat the mark of two U.S. players. Then, he checked Son Heung-min's position in a no-mark situation and stabbed a forward pass. Tensions suddenly rose in the U.S. defense camp with Kim Jin-kyu's movement and pass. Son Heung-min, who caught the ball, broke down the defensive wall with Lee Jae-sung and Lee Dae-il passes, and connected the pass to Lee Dong-kyung, who was next to the goalkeeper who ran out. Lee Dong-kyung scored with a sensational left-footed back-foot shot from a position where the so-called 'left foot' was not caught.

Lee Dong-kyung and Kim Jin-kyu, who completed the 'Mission', were replaced by Lee Kang-in's Jens Kastrov (Borussia Mönchengladbach) in the 18th minute of the second half when his team led 2-0, respectively, and retreated to the bench. Based on his performance at the East Asian Cup in July, the '97 line' such as Baek Seung-ho, who was born in 1997, and who worked hard to take control of the midfield, presented a new possibility to the national team preparing for the World Cup. Ahead of his departure to the U.S. on the 1st, Hong said, `It will be a game where we can prepare for what alternatives we can find against good teams.'

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.