Changwon FC's "Captain" Lee Hyun-sung (30) expressed his strong ambition.
Changwon had a 1-1 draw with Pocheon Citizens' Soccer Team (hereinafter referred to as Pocheon) in an away match in the fifth round of the 2024 K3 League held at Pocheon Sports Complex on Sunday. The team was dragged away by allowing the first goal to Pocheon Kim Dong-wook in the 30th minute of the second half, but Yoo Soo-jin's theater equalizer just before the end of the game allowed the team to bring in one point.
Despite a long 800-kilometer round trip away, Changwon showed performance on par with that of Pocheon. The team lost concentration in defense and made opponents cool by intermittent counterattacks. Considering that it has been less than three months since Coach Lee Young-jin was newly appointed, the team showed amazing teamwork.
Captain Lee Hyun-seong was at the center of the "One Team." After finishing his military service with Jinju Citizens' Soccer Team, Lee returned to Changwon in three years this season. Coach Lee Young-jin played the role of bridge between the coaching staff and the team despite many changes, and boldly entrusted the captain's armband by appreciating Lee's attitude as an example in the training ground.
"As the team was losing three games in a row, I felt a sense of responsibility as a captain and was under considerable stress," Lee said in an interview with Sportal Korea after the match. "I'm grateful to the players who won one point without losing concentration until the end even though it's a difficult away match in Pocheon. I think it's getting better and better."
Regarding leading the team as the captain in his first year after returning to Korea, he said, "There were no special episodes in the appointment of the captain. Coach Lee took the helm at a time when the formation of the team was over to some extent, and I think he took a particularly good look at me."
"Multi-player," Lee Hyun-seong, who knows both sides and the midfield, is a familiar face to Korean soccer fans. He made his professional debut with Incheon United in 2016 and was a member of Gyeongnam FC's K-League 2 championship in 2017. After moving to E-Land in Seoul, he served as vice-captain of the 2019 season. 안전놀이터
Now in his fifth year in the K3·4 League, Lee aims to return to the professional stage. He is dreaming about Kim Un, who debuted as a "late pro" at the age of 29 in Anyang FC.
"In fact, I know it will not be easy because I am quite old," Lee said. "But I am not going to give up (like Kim Un). I am always looking up, trying hard, and preparing. I will do my best to become a player who writes my own story and myth. Please watch me," he concluded the interview with firm determination.