Lee Ki-hyuk vowed to use his boarding as an opportunity for development.
Gangwon FC, which played the 37th round of Hana Bank’s K League 1 2024 at Suwon Stadium, lost to Suwon FC 0-4. Gangwon failed to distance itself from Gimcheon Sangmu (60 points), the third-ranked team in the league, and maintained an unstable second place with 61 points.
Gangwon was disappointed in general on the day. Manager Yoon Jeong-hwan said after the match, “I asked the players to enjoy the game, but I think they enjoyed it too much,” displaying lack of concentration. Although Suwon FC had no win in the last eight games, it would be a difficult team if it does not gain strength, but the team lacked the desperation more than Suwon FC, which had to achieve a finishing goal in its last home game somehow.
In the meantime, Lee showed his true value. He moved to center back in the first half and left back in the second half to suit the team’s circumstances, engaging in build-up. Of course, he made a fatal mistake in which he easily spilled the ball in the 32nd minute of the first half and lost the ball to Han Kyo-won at the gate, but when Ji Dong-won handed over the goalkeeper with a chip shot in the second minute of extra time in the first half, he managed to defend himself acrobatically in front of the goal, displaying the most dedication in Gangwon’s defense. There was a reason why Hong Myung-bo chose Lee as a defender to experiment with ahead of the November A-match.
Still, the team lost. After the game, Lee told reporters at the mixed zone. “The players wanted to achieve a successful result, but the result didn’t come out the way they wanted. I feel so sorry and disappointed that we lost the game,” Lee said. “After losing the championship, the players were out of it. We lost the game to Suwon FC players. We lost the game to the players. We lost the game to the players. We will prepare so that we don’t regret the last game.”
He also expressed his feelings about joining the national team. “I couldn’t believe it when I was selected as a member of the national team, but I decided to think in a cool-headed manner. My duty as a player is to do my best to show good performances and I hope that I will work hard to show good performances and play in matches,” Lee said, expressing his expectations for the upcoming match.
Lee said, “This is not the first time for the Korean national team. When the East Asian Football Confederation E-1 Football Championship (East Asia Cup) was held in July 2022, Lee was invited by coach Paulo Bento and played as a starting member against Hong Kong. However, back then, the team was convened mainly in domestic leagues, which was quite different from the current national team where elite members gathered. Lee himself changed his position from a midfielder to a defender.
Lee Ki-hyuk said, “For the past two years, I felt like I had moved a lot of teams and couldn’t settle down, but I played a lot of games when I moved to Gangwon this year. My position is also going to a different position than when I went to the East Asian Cup. Everything has changed, so I have to play more games with greed and do my best,” adding, “Since I was a midfielder in the build-up, I have an advantage over other center backs. Existing center backs have sufficient skills in defense. If I learn quickly what I have to learn and develop defense, I can say that I have a lot of superiority.”
There are players from Gangwon Province to the national team ahead of Lee Ki-hyuk this year. Hwang Moon-ki and Yang Min-hyuk experienced the national flag through an A-match in September, and Hwang continued to be selected for the national team. In this A-match, he boarded with Lee Ki-hyuk for the first time, but he got off after suffering a minor injury.
Lee admitted that he talked with Yang Min-hyuk and Hwang Mun-ki after being selected for the national team. “(Yang) Min-hyuk is so young that I cheered him on like this, ‘Bro, do well’ rather than giving him advice. Even though he must have felt sorry, he didn’t show any signs and told me to do well and don’t get hurt. Rather than putting pressure on him, he gave me heartfelt advice that I could give to my juniors,” he said.
He also expected “chemistry” with Kim. As a defensive midfielder, Kim is the first player to be selected for the national team. “Kim and I were not consistently selected for the national team. So we asked each other to stick together,” Lee said. “I don’t know what to pack since it’s our first time going overseas. I jokingly talked with Bong-soo about how to pack a plug socket. Still, I mentioned that the most important thing is to quickly integrate into the national team and get along with the other players.” 안전놀이터
The player Lee Ki-hyuk wants to see the most was Kim Min-jae. At the East Asian Cup, Hwang said, “But now I am a center back. First of all, Kim Min-jae is a representative center back in Korea. I will learn a lot from Kim Min-jae,” he said. “I think I have to learn the basics of defense first. Fans tell me I am good, but I feel I am lacking every time I watch my game. I will ask questions and learn a lot of questions by bullying him, whether he is a senior or a coach,” he said. “My goal is to absorb the strengths of my seniors and play together.”