When Oh Hyun-kyu (22) left Suwon Samsung to join Scotland Celtic, the competition for strikers in the national team was also ignited. Cho Kyu-seong (25, Jeonbuk Hyundai) has leaped into a new starting lineup through the Qatar World Cup, but if Oh Hyun-gyu successfully takes his place on the European stage, the wind of change may blow with the appointment of a new coach.
Oh Hyun-gyu entered the European stage through a transfer to Celtic on the 25th. He is the first player to qualify for Europe after the World Cup. Unfortunately, Oh Hyun-kyu accompanied the World Cup as a reserve list and did not play, but based on his performance in the K-League last season, he received a love call from Celtic and entered the European stage first. 스포츠토토
On the other hand, Cho Kyu-seong, who was the first to advance to Europe by scoring two goals in the World Cup, is in fact likely to stay. Although he received love calls from major European leagues such as Celtic and Mainz (Germany), including Oh Hyun-gyu, and even made an actual offer, it has become virtually difficult to advance to Europe this winter as the club has put more weight on remaining.
As the fates of the two strikers diverged over advancing to Europe, the possibility of a new wind blowing in the national team striker competition naturally increased. With Cho Gyu-seong overtaking Hwang Ui-jo (31, Olympiacos) as the starting pitcher through the World Cup, this time, “European” Oh Hyun-gyu appears to be challenging Cho Kyu-sung’s position.
It is true that Cho Kyu-seong, who played as a main player in the World Cup, is far ahead in A-match career (six goals in 20 matches) and experience, but whether Oh Hyun-gyu, who entered Europe first, can change the tide at once. It is in the same context that Cho Kyu-seong took the starting position in a surprise start in the second game of the group stage instead of Hwang Ui-jo, who was a strong starter during the last World Cup.
Moreover, as a new command tower is taking over, not coach Paulo Bento (54, Portugal), it is highly likely that the existing system, such as the evaluation of players, will also start at the “origin”. It is expected that how competitive Oh Hyun-gyu will show at Celtic will be an important variable in the competition as a leading striker before the A-match schedule in March, when the debut match under the new coach system is likely.
Of course, if Cho Kyu-seong can also continue to play an active part in his team, he can build a goodwill competition system with Oh Hyun-gyu in the future. Cho Kyu-seong also advances to the European stage following Oh Hyun-kyu, and if a European striker is born one after another, it is truly the icing on the cake. It is a welcome wind blowing in Korean soccer after the last World Cup in Qatar.