Choi Yong-soo, head coach of professional soccer’s K League 1 Gangwon FC, praised the performance of Lee Seung-won after his first match at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
On Thursday, Choi met with reporters before the team’s 2023 Korea Football Association (FA) Cup Round of 16 match against Gimpo FC of the 메이저놀이터 K League 2 (2) at Gimpo Solter Soccer Stadium in Gyeonggi-do, Gyeonggi-do, and was pleased with Lee’s performance, saying, “He even scored a goal and did very well.”
The day before, Lee scored the first goal in the U-20 World Cup Group F match against France in Mendoza, Argentina, and also assisted Lee Young-joon (Gimcheon) on the winning goal.
Midfielder Lee Seung-won, who served as the team’s captain, helped Kim Eun-jong-ho defeat ‘favorite’ France 2-1 in the first game. “The first game is actually the hardest,” said Choi, who watched the match. The opponent was France again,” Choi said, “I felt really good. Overall, I think we were organized and coach Kim Eun-joong had a good strategy.”
Lee turned pro at the end of last year after signing with the team while still a student at Dankook University and has made three appearances and one assist in the K4 League (fourth division) for Gangwon FC’s B team. However, Lee has yet to see the field in the first team.
Just as the team’s signature striker, Yang Hyun-jun, was promoted to the first division in the 2021 season after showing flashes of brilliance in the fourth division, it would be beneficial for Gangwon if Lee Seung-won could return to the world stage with his full potential.
Gangwon, who finished sixth last season behind the performances of Yang Hyun-joon and Kim Dae-won, have struggled in the early stages of this season.
With two wins, five draws, and seven losses, they are in 11th place, behind last-place Suwon Samsung (two wins, two draws, and 10 losses).
Especially since they’ve been running on empty, there’s a lot to look forward to for Gangwon if Lee continues to look as sharp as he did against France.