Controversy over the team’s performance was raised, but Korean national soccer team coach Jurgen Klinsmann (59) did not hesitate. Instead of selecting a new player, the team decided to trust veteran fullback Lee Ki-je (Suwon Samsung) once more.
Klinsmann announced the final roster for the 2023 Qatar Asian Cup at the CGV Yongsan in Seoul on Tuesday. The final roster for this year’s Asian Cup has increased from 23 to 26. Klinsmann picked all 26 players. However, he did not make significant changes to the post at left fullback, which was raised as an unstable factor. Klinsmann said the reason.
He selected Kim Jin-soo (Jeonbuk Hyundai) along with Lee Ki-je as left fullback. They have been consistently selected since Coach Klinsmann took the helm. In the case of Lee, things have changed a lot from before. He ended the season without playing for his team Suwon Samsung for about three months. There were concerns over his performance. However, Coach Klinsmann has shown constant trust.
There was a reason. Klinsmann put more importance on the time he spent with Lee as a member of the national team than on his team. “Lee Ki-je had a difficult season in his team. We cannot care about why he did not play in the game. I do not know what happened. It is true that Lee Ki-je had a difficult season. However, whenever Lee Ki-je was called up, he fully performed his role without any lack of attitude in the national team, performance in his role in the game, and performance,” Klinsmann said.
“Lee Ki-je is one of the players who has shown more professional attitude than anyone else,” Klinsmann said. “I had concerns about left fullback and right fullback. I have tried to find young players and found and used Seol Young-woo (Ulsan HD) for right fullback. The left fullback will be with Lee until the Asian Cup in Qatar. Both players are keeping their positions and I think they have displayed their qualifications at big competitions. Lee fully played his role whenever he convened the meeting.”
Unlike his team, Lee has consistently been given opportunities in the team. Since he was selected for the national team in March, his first call-up, he has been on the list of call-ups. This means that he liked the coach. In terms of playing time, Lee was a key member of the team. He started at the match against Uruguay in March, and has maintained his starting position since the match against Peru in June. Lee also led Korea to victory by starting at the first match of Group C in Asia’s second qualifying match for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup last month, against Singapore, and the second match against China. 월카지노
Lee Ki-je also blocked Korea from losing a point in the match against Saudi Arabia in September by using land-based defense. Thanks to this, the team, which had been mired in a winless slump, beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 to win its first victory. Thanks to Lee’s performance, the team has won no points in the past six games. With monster defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) at the center with an iron-barreled defense, Lee Ki-je also showed a concentrated defense. In addition, Lee also showed a good cross by banking on his sharp kick, which is his biggest strength.
Through this event, Korea will challenge for the first time in 64 years after winning the championship in 1960. As it is a short-term game, Korea should display all-out efforts in every game. Stable defense is always emphasized.
With coach Klinsmann’s trust, Lee Ki-je has a chance to play in the Asian Cup. Attention is focusing on whether Lee Ki-je will be able to repay his faith.