The Republic of Korea U-24 national soccer team, led by coach Hwang Seon-hong, won 2-1 in the final of the '2022 Hangzhou Asian Games' against Japan held at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, China on the 7th.
Lee Kang-in started as a right wing forward on this day. While Eom Won-sang suffered an injury against Uzbekistan and was unable to play as a starter, coach Hwang Seon-hong positioned Lee Kang-in as a right wing forward rather than the traditional attacking midfielder.
Lee Kang-in was active. He continued to shake up Japan with his signature dribbling and threatening crosses. He still passed to attackers penetrating forward.
Korea conceded a goal in the first minute of the first half, but continued to attack centered on the right side where Lee Kang-in was located. In the end, in the 26th minute of the first half, Jeong Woo-young headed a cross from Hwang Jae-won, equalizing the score, and in the 11th minute of the second half, Cho Young-wook even scored a comeback goal to win the precious gold medal
After the game, Lee Kang-in said, “I am happy that I achieved my goal of winning. I am so grateful to the coaching staff, teammates, and fans who supported me in Korea and Hangzhou. It is a very good memory and experience for me. I feel like I learned more. “Winning the championship is what I remember the most.”
He continued, “I am so grateful to the director. Even before the competition started, he received a lot of criticism, but he always believed in the players. The players also trusted the coach. “I hope he will win more competitions in the future,” he added.
Lee Kang-in said about winning, “It was so good. It was the first win representing the country of Korea. I will never forget it. “The gold medal was heavy,” she said.
With his Asian Games gold medal, Lee Kang-in will be exempted from military service. Lee Kang-in said, “There was no great pressure. It is true that his exemption is convenient for his career as a player. But he is a place every Korean man must go. “He accepted it of course and didn’t worry or think much about it,” he said honestly.
Lee Kang-in said, “The atmosphere was great while preparing for the competition, and even before I joined, I heard that they were doing well. The coaching staff and players trusted each other well and came together well as a team. “It will be a necessary part of the Olympic team and national team in the future,” he explained about the team.