Hwang Sun-hong has returned home after leading the Korean men’s soccer team to an upset victory over Japan in the final of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. The Asian Games soccer team, led by Hwang Sun-hong, returned to South Korea via Incheon International Airport on Monday afternoon.
Hwang and the Korean Under-24 Football Team defeated Japan 2-1 in the men’s football final at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, China, on a late goal by Cho Young-wook (Gimcheon) in the 11th minute of stoppage time after the game was tied 1-1.
South Korea, which also won the 2014 Incheon and 2018 Jakarta-Palembang titles, claimed the first men’s soccer triple in the tournament’s history.
Hwang Seon-hong was an unstoppable force, scoring a whopping 27 goals in seven games from the group stage to the final, while Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart) scored eight goals, including a crucial equalizer in the final.
Head coach Hwang Sun-hong, captain Baek Seung-ho (Jeonbuk), and “Ace” Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) arrived at the arrivals gate at 7 p.m. with beaming smiles on their faces, waving as the 300 fans lined up to greet them with cheers and applause.
Hwang and the 22 players posed for photos with their gold medals around their necks and bouquets of flowers in hand.
Chung Mong-kyu, president of the Korea Football Association, said, “I hope the players returning to their respective teams will perform well and we will see them again in the A team in the future. Congratulations to coach Hwang Sun-hong and his staff.”
Coach Hwang expressed his gratitude, saying, “It was a happy and good memory to be with such a great team of players and coaches, and we were able to build a golden tower of three consecutive Asian Games with the support of the people.”
“We will continue to work hard for the development of Korean soccer in the future. I would also like to give a lot of praise and encouragement to the players.”
Hwang, who had been criticized for his poor scoring and performance before the Asian Games, responded with a smile on his face.
“It’s a bit unfamiliar to be welcomed after being criticized every day, but I don’t think it’s bad,” Hwang said, then vowed to “do my best to be welcomed in the future.”
“I think good football is a combination of many things, not just one person,” he said of his team’s 27 goals in seven games from the group stage to the final. “I think the second-string players played well, which led to a good result.”
“It was a very tough game, with Uzbekistan playing a straightforward and powerful game, so it was a bit of a struggle,” said Hwang. “I was very dizzy after conceding the first goal in the final against Japan just two minutes into the game,” he laughed.
“I thought we had a chance as long as we didn’t falter psychologically, but fortunately, our captain Baek Seung-ho and Park Jin-seop (Jeonbuk) were able to hold the center of the field, and we regained our pace.”
Now, as Hwang tightens his shoelaces again in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, he is eager to take his ‘ace’ Lee Kang-in with him.
“I told (Lee) that he hasn’t gotten a dojo, but he should join us, but it seems to be a ‘question mark,'” Hwang said, “He hasn’t given me a definite answer yet. It’s a secret,” he laughed.
Hwang urged the support of the Korea Football Association, the KFA, and the clubs.카지노
“Japan and Uzbekistan prepare for the tournament for nearly three years. We have only a few call-ups, and even those are uncertain,” he said, adding, “We need support so that we can prepare hard.”
“We need to have the opportunity to train for even two or three weeks during the A-match period, and even during the winter training period, to be competitive,” said Hwang, who emphasized that “if this does not happen, it can be very difficult.”