Lee Kang-in’s dribbling and passing shone through despite conceding the first goal.
The South Korean national football team finished the first half trailing 0-1 against Peru at the Busan Asiad Stadium on Saturday at 8pm. However, after conceding the goal, Lee Kang-in’s passing and dribbling in the midfield constantly threatened the opposition.
The team started the game in a 4-4-2 formation, with Lee partnering Hwang Hee-chan and Oh Hyun-gyu up front on the right.
The first half was dominated by Peru, who even scored the first goal. In the 11th minute, Brian Reyna received an exquisite pass from Paolo Guerrero in the centre of the pitch and fired a powerful left-footed shot into the right corner of the goal. It was a precise strike that Kim Seung-gyu could do nothing about.
But it was the left foot of Lee Kang-in, who has led Mallorca in La Liga this season, that shone. It started in the seventh minute when he dribbled brilliantly and won a foul after possessing the ball between two defenders. In the 25th minute, he played a precise long pass to Lee Jae-sung, who got into the space behind the opposition defence, but his shot was saved by the goalkeeper 토토사이트.
Two minutes later, Lee Kang-in made a one-touch pass from the halfway line to Oh Hyun-gyu, who was getting into the back of the defence. Oh Hyeon-gyu dribbled in and struck a shot that deflected off his right foot and out of the goal. Lee Kang-in’s first shot on target came in the 33rd minute. Hwang Hee-chan dribbled and drew three defenders outside the penalty box before crossing to Lee Kang-in on the right, who curled a left-footed shot that was narrowly saved by the goalkeeper.
Lee remained focused until the end. In first-half stoppage time, he exchanged passes with Hwang Hee-chan and Hwang In-beom and drew a foul outside the penalty area with a phantom dribble. He took a direct left-footed shot that beat the defence and went wide. The first half ended with the Koreans trailing, but the team, led by Lee Kang-in, will look to attack more aggressively in the second half.