Like a ‘captain’, he dedicated himself to the team’s victory throughout the match. Not only that. He scored the winning goal with a decisive courier free kick. ‘Captain Kim Eun-jung-ho’ Lee Seung-won (20-Gangwon FC) flew all over the place to lead 메이저놀이터 South Korea to a 1-0 victory over Nigeria.
Lee started against Nigeria in the quarterfinals of the FIFA U20 World Cup 2023, which concluded on Friday (ET). Playing in a 4-2-3-1 system with two strikers and the center of the midfield, Lee was all over the field in South Korea’s 1-0 win.
As the team as a whole was outplayed by Nigeria, Lee’s position was somewhat lower than usual. He was more focused on controlling the midfield and supporting the defense than attacking. In the last minute of the first half, he had a crucial right-footed shot that sailed high.
He ran a whopping 15.7 kilometers in full time until extra time. Like Park Ji-sung did for the national team in the past, Lee wore the captain’s armband and dominated the midfield with his immense activity.
In the penalty shootout, he used his ‘golden right foot’ to deliver the winning goal. In the fifth minute of extra time, he assisted Choi Seok-hyun’s winning goal with a fantastic corner kick. It was his second consecutive game with a goal assist after the 3-2 win over Ecuador in the Round of 16.
Approached the record of Lee Kang-in, who won the Golden Ball four years ago, with one goal and four assists in the tournament. Produced five offensive points in five games and 396 minutes. This is a better pace than Lee’s 2 goals and 4 assists in 7 games and 621 minutes in the last tournament.
The details are also excellent. The four assists are the most in the entire tournament until the semifinals. Lee also leads the team in successful passes (187) and line breaks (59). In other words, he’s not only a provider, but also a solver.
Now, Lee Seung-won has his sights set on defeating the Azzurri Legion. If he continues to perform well in the remaining matches with more offensive points, he can make the Golden Ball a reality. It will be interesting to see if they can continue to exert their presence like Park Ji-sung + Lee Kang-in.