‘Englishman’ Lee Cheong-yong (36, Ulsan) has some warm words of advice for Yang Min-hyuk (18, Gangwon), who is challenging for the Premier League.
Ulsan, led by head coach Kim Pan-gon, defeated Gangwon FC 2-1 in the 36th round of the 2024 K League 1 at the Ulsan Sports Complex on Jan. 1, thanks to goals from Rubikson and In-jong-kyu. With the win, Ulsan (68 points) extended its lead over second-place Gangwon (61 points) to seven points and secured its third consecutive K League 1 title with one game remaining.
It was a game that showed the class of Lee Cheong-yong. In the 10th minute of the second half, Lee Myung-jae on the left side of the defense saw Lee Cheong-yong on the right and sent him a long pass. Lee collected it and accurately delivered it to the onrushing Lee Min-kyu. Lee’s finish sealed Ulsan’s third straight loss.
After the game, Lee said, “It’s been a tough season, but I’m very happy to have won three in a row. I’m very grateful to the Ulsan fans for their support. I didn’t know Min-kyu was so fast,” he said.
His opponent, Yang Min-hyuk, is now heading to Tottenham after this season.
He will be the first player from the K League to go straight to the Premier League.
Lee, who burst onto the scene at Bolton in 2009, 토토사이트 has spent a lot of time abroad. “I don’t think I need to give him any advice. He’s a player who has the ability to make people have high expectations from him,” Lee said.
However, Lee was worried that the younger player might be overwhelmed by the expectations, so he asked the reporters for a favor. “If people around him have excessive expectations from the beginning, it might put pressure on the younger player. He might become impatient. He is still very young and has a lot of potential. I want to support him as a fan,” he said.
Coach Yoon Jung-hwan added, “Yang Min-hyuk has something innate in my opinion. At the beginning of the season, he looked shaky at the beginning of the game, but as he played more and more, his physical strength grew. If you’re not born with it, you can’t get that far. I’m sometimes surprised when I watch from the sidelines,” he said, recognizing his talent.
When asked if he could give Yang any advice for the Premier League, Yoon said, “We’re still in the middle of the league. I can’t say anything after today’s game. Minhyuk will be devastated. I’ll talk to him when I have time,” he said, sparing his protégé.
