Kim Geon-hee’s defensive show backs his call-up
Incheon United center back Kim Geon-hee anchored the defense in the 1-1 draw with Daejeon Hana Citizen in K League 1 Round 30 on September 20. He shut down Joo Min-kyu, threw his body in front of Daejeon’s shots, and led with five aerial duels won, six clearances and six blocks. He also completed all 30 of his medium-range passes. Kim, who debuted for Incheon in 2023, played 39 games in K League 2 last season to help the club win promotion, and has been called up to the national team for the first time for the September and October international matches. Interfootball said the game showed why coach Roberto Moreno picked him.
Source: Interfootball
Masa faces former club Kyoto after 10 years
Daejeon Hana Citizen midfielder Masa faced Kyoto Sanga, the club where he began his professional career, for the first time in 10 years in the ACLE league stage opener. Starting at Daejeon World Cup Stadium on September 15, he linked the attack and midfield as Daejeon won 1-0 on Bobsin’s 78th-minute goal, claiming a first win on its return to Asian competition after 23 years. “It’s not common to meet everyone on such a big stage, so I was really happy,” Masa said after the game. Having lived through a failed promotion bid and a relegation scare with Daejeon, he added that “there are still seven ACLE games left” and he will approach them with the same mindset.
Source: Interfootball
Gangwon’s Lee Yu-hyeon and Kim Dae-won shine in the stats
Gangwon FC’s Lee Yu-hyeon and Kim Dae-won rank among the league’s best in detailed statistics. According to Interfootball, captain Lee, now a regular midfielder under coach Chung Kyung-ho, leads the league in ball recoveries (275) and is second in loose-ball duels won (17), covering more than 11 km per game and ranking in the top three ‘Best Runners’ in Rounds 26 through 28. Kim has 8 goals and 8 assists in 27 games and leads the league in key passes (73), successful crosses (65) and successful passes in the attacking third (348). Gangwon scores 1.29 goals per game, concedes just 0.96, and has kept 12 clean sheets. Neither player was named to the latest national team squad.
Source: Interfootball