Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), who lead the national soccer team’s attack, are showing off their versatility by playing a variety of positions for their clubs. Their abilities will provide South Korea with more versatility in attack at the Asian Cup in Qatar next January.
Son Heung-min scored the winning goal in the 18th minute to give South Korea a 1-0 lead against Everton in the 18th round of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on Sept. 24 (KST).
Playing on the left flank, Heung-min filled in for frontline striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 18th minute of the second half when he was substituted due to a back strain, and secured a 2-1 victory.
Son has played as both a top striker and left wing-forward for Tottenham this season. He started the first three games at left wing-forward, but after the absence of Heucharlison due to poor form and injury, Heung-min has been up front for more than 10 games and has scored 11 goals so far this season, showing the goal-scoring ability of a true striker.
Hwang Hee-chan, who has scored nine goals this season for Wolverhampton in the EPL, is another player who can play a variety of positions.
Depending on the opponent, Wolverhampton head coach Gary O’Neill has used Hwang as either a wing forward or a frontline striker. He has shown great adaptability, scoring a goal in each of the three different positions he has played.
Hwang’s decision-making has improved dramatically this season, and he can find the back of the net from any position.
Lee Kang-in, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the French Ligue 1, is even more versatile.
Since joining PSG, Lee has played right wing forward, left wing forward, attacking center midfielder, and left flanker. During matches, PSG coach Luis Enrique switches Lee from left to right and right to left depending on the situation. He is actively utilizing Lee as a trump card to change his tactics. 헤라카지노
The versatility of the Korean national soccer team’s strikers on the European stage means that Klinsmann’s squad will have plenty of options for the upcoming Asian Cup in Qatar.
In fact, Klinsmann has given his forwards a lot of freedom in this year’s A matches, allowing them to switch positions during matches. The players have been able to be more creative under Klinsmann than they were under his predecessor, Paulo Bento. As the players adapted to Klinsmann’s tactics, the goals started to come in bunches from the A-Match in October.
Hwang Eui-jo (Norwich City) was suspended from the Asian Cup squad for illegal filming, but Klinsmann did not select a replacement, such as Lee In-gyu (Ulsan HD). This is because Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan can play up front even if Cho Kyu-sung is out.
As the main attacking players adapt to different positions, the expectations of soccer fans will grow ahead of the Asian Cup.