After scoring the winning goal in the first match against ‘favorites’ France, South Korea’s Lee Young-jun (Gimcheon Sangmu) expressed confidence in his skills and the team’s performance.
Back-to-back goals from captain Lee Seung-won (Gangwon) and Lee Young-joon (Gimcheon Sangmu) helped the South Korean national team defeat ‘favorites’ France 2-1 in their first match of Group F at the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, Argentina.
Lee Young-joon’s 19th-minute header in the second half was the result of his confidence. “My strength is in the height battle using my big height,” said Lee, explaining, “I like (Lee) Seung-won’s kick, so I told him before the free-kick situation, ‘Keep it short,’ and he did just that, and it was well-timed and went over his head.”
“I’m happy to score a goal on my birthday,” he said, “I don’t get to share this feeling with my family and friends, but it’s nice to come all the way across the country and enjoy it with my fellow coaching staff.”
“I’m a player who likes to use my height to play in the post and fight high, and I also like to play with my feet,” said Lee. “If you watch this World Cup in the early morning (Korean time), you’ll definitely see what kind of player I am.”
Here’s a one-on-one with Lee.
-On winning the first game.
“The first game isn’t easy for any team, including us, and today was actually not an easy game, but it worked out well because we scored early. The next game won’t be easy either, but if we don’t give up until the end like we did today, I think we can do well.”
-Was the game-winner a promising set-piece situation?
“We practiced a lot of set pieces in training. (Kang) Sung-jin and (Lee) Seung-won have good kicks, so I told them before the free-kick situation, ‘Keep it short,’ and they did exactly that, so it was well-timed and went over their heads.”
-On how it felt to score the goal.
“It’s always nice to score a goal and it’s an honor to do it on such a big stage. Especially today, it’s my birthday and I’m happy to score on my birthday. I don’t get to share this feeling with my family and friends, but it’s nice to come all the way across the country and enjoy it with my fellow coaching staff.”
-On if she was nervous for her first time on the big stage.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous at the World Cup, but I think it’s good to have some nerves. I think you play better when you’re having fun, so after the first game, I was just having fun.”
-On how she describes herself as a player 토토사이트.
“I’m a player who uses my height to my advantage in post play and high fights, and I also like to play with my feet. Fans might think I’m just a tall player, but if you watch the World Cup in the early hours of the morning (Korean time), you’ll see what I’m all about.”
-On his mindset going into the next match and a word to the nation.
“It’s true that there was some pressure on us because we did well in the previous 2019 tournament, but I think we did well because our fans supported us until dawn. We played a good game against the favorites, France, so I think we gave them the expectation that we can go higher. We hope they will continue to support us and we will reward them with even better performances.”