The key player who gave hope for a great turnaround in Korea, which was being dragged to Ghana after scoring two goals, was 'game changer' Lee Kang-in (21, Mallorca). 



Although the match was lost, soccer fans regretted that Lee Kang-in was not a starting member due to his remarkable performance, and one foreign media commented, "If he played for 90 minutes, the result could have been changed."



The Korean national soccer team, led by coach Paulo Bento, lost 2-3 against Ghana in the second match of Group H of the World Cup group stage held at the Al Rayyan Education City Stadium in Qatar on the 28th (Korean time) at 10:00 pm. 



South Korea gained possession early in the game and pushed Ghana.

However, they conceded two goals in the first half and there was no significant change until the 10th minute in the second half.



Then, coach Bento pulled out Lee Kang-in's card. 



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In the 12th minute of the second half, he was replaced by Kwon Chang-hoon and stepped on the ground and made a fantastic assist less than a minute later.



He quickly intercepted the opponent's ball from the left flank and crossed with his left foot, which was headed by Cho Kyu-seong (Jeonbuk) in front of the goal. 



Lee Kang-in, who raised the atmosphere, delivered accurate passes to and from the center and flanks, and energized the attack by making several penetration passes.  



Gaining confidence and rushing forward, Korea immediately scored an additional goal from Jin-Soo Kim's cross followed by Kyu-Sung Cho to tie the game 2-2. 



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In particular, with one minute remaining in the second half of extra time, Lee Kang-in ran to kick a corner kick and induced cheering for the Korean crowd. 



Although Ghana's third goal came out and unfortunately gave away victory, Lee Kang-in showed a sparkling performance.  


"If Lee Kang-in played for 90 minutes, the result would have been different"


After the defeat against Ghana, some football fans are mixed with regret and doubts, such as "Why not use Lee Kang-in as a starter?", "Lee Kang-in is always just a joker", and "It would have been nice if Lee Kang-in was used earlier."



On the 28th (local time), ESPN, an American sports media outlet, also reported on Lee Kang-in's performance by reporting an article titled, "Lee Kang-in could have changed the outcome of the game if he had played for 90 minutes."



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The media said, "Every time Lee Kang-in sent the ball into the box, the Ghanaian players were in a hurry, and his movement made more space for Son Heung-min." (Lee Kang-in) is amazing."



“Lee Kang-in definitely showed his skills and proved that he can do the same on the World Cup stage,” he said. “Lee Kang-in can do it again in the match against Portugal, which he must win. everything" was analyzed.



Lee Kang-in took the lead in South Korea's runner-up at the 2019 U-20 World Cup and emerged as the best prospect, receiving the Golden Ball (Best Player Award) when he was 18 years old. 



However, he was shunned by coach Paulo Bento and was not selected for the national team for a while. 



Even on this World Cup stage, Bento coach Lee Kang-in was put in as a replacement member, not as a starter, for two consecutive games. 



Previously, in the match against Uruguay on the 24th, Lee Kang-in was substituted in for Na Sang-ho in the 29th minute of the second half, sending several forward passes to Cho Kyu-seong and providing scoring opportunities, playing a role in revitalizing the attack. 



After the game, coach Bento said of Lee Kang-in, "Lee Kang-in is a fast-paced player with good speed."



However, he also explained why he was not selected as a starter, saying, "In Korea, there seems to be a tendency to like individual players rather than team effort. I thought about the team's performance." 


Lee Kang-in "As a player who helps the team, I will trust and follow the coach's decision"


Even while everyone was spouting words of regret, Lee Kang-in made up his mind, saying that he fully followed Bento's decision. 



In an interview after the match on the 28th, Lee Kang-in was asked if he had any desire to start as a starter, saying, "That part is up to the coach to decide." "I have 100% confidence in the coach's decision. I will try my best,” he replied.



"When I was put in, coach Paulo Bento always wanted me to play aggressively and close to the goal," he said. I will try," he promised.



Meanwhile, at the end of the game, the Korean national team had a corner kick opportunity, but referee Anthony Taylor ended the game.

Players and coaches protested against this, and referee Taylor pulled out a red card for Bento, who entered the field and protested vehemently. 



Bento, who received a red card, will not be able to keep the bench in the third group match against Portugal at 0:00 am on December 3rd.

In this game against Portugal, it is noteworthy that Lee Kang-in will take out a reversal card as a surprise starter rather than a replacement. 



(Photo = Yonhap News, ESPN website capture)