South Korea’s national soccer team, led by head coach Jürgen Klinsmann, won 3-1 against Bahrain in the first Group E match of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup at Jasim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the 15th (Korea time).
South Korea, ranked 23rd in the FIFA rankings, struggled against Bahrain, ranked 86th.
It wasn’t until the 38th minute of the first half that the balance was broken, and a pass from Lee Jae-sung’s toe led to Hwang In-beom (Zvezda)’s first goal.
While Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) was excluded from the roster due to an injury, Lee Jae-sung was in charge of the national team’s left and right wings along with Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) on the right side.
Lee Jae-sung, who attacked Bahrain’s defense with his unique diligent moves, played until the end of the game and contributed to his first win.
“It was hard because it was the first game, but I focused on winning. I’m satisfied with winning. I think my performance will get better gradually,” Lee said after the match.
“It was a difficult game even before the equalizer was scored in the second half. Still, I thought not to be in a hurry. The mood could have changed, but Kang-in scored a goal and became stable. That’s how much our players are capable,” he added.
Lee Jae-sung said he got off to a good start with the victory over Bahrain.
“Many teams including Japan had difficulties in the first game,” he said. “I didn’t think it would be easy today. But it’s a good sign to finish with a victory.”
Lee Jae-sung, who said the team has a good atmosphere, said, “It is an important task to improve your condition. If you recover from today’s game and improve your condition, your performance will be better.”
Paisley Mcpherson