“Lee Kang-in is now a very famous player in South America. They watch a lot of La Liga games in South America.”
“He’s already a famous player,” national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann said after the game against Peru.
This was true. Lee Kang-in was a crowd favorite. When the whistle blew at the end of an exhibition match against El Salvador at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium on Sept. 20, Lee was the first to be asked to change jerseys, surrounded by El Salvadoran players. Son Heung-min came on as a second-half substitute, but the El Salvadorans looked for Lee Kang-in first.
Mayer Hill (No. 10) was the first to come to Lee’s aid after he collapsed to the ground in full-time. He helped Lee to his feet and shook his hand. However, the luck of the jersey swap belonged to another player. Before Mayer-Hill could ask for a jersey swap, Ruldan (No. 15) did. Luldan had scored the dramatic equalizer just before the end of the game, and Mayer Hill gave him the opportunity. After exchanging jerseys with Lee Kang-in, Luldan walked off the field with a satisfied look on his face.
Lee, meanwhile, played full-time in both the June friendlies against Peru and El Salvador. Until last year, Lee was utilized as a late joker under Bento, but under Klinsmann, he has become a tactical key player. “He’s not a substitute anymore, he changes the tempo of the team when he comes on,” Klinsmann said at a press conference on Nov. 22. He has a good influence on the whole team,” Klinsmann publicly praised Lee. In fact, since Klinsmann’s arrival, Lee has played full-time in three consecutive games.
Lee has become an integral part of the team and has been able to torment opposing defenders with his flashy individual skills. His flashes of brilliance, more so than those of his South American counterparts, have left soccer fans in awe, and he performed well enough to be named MVP in the team’s 0-1 loss to Peru.
In the match against El Salvador on the 20th, the left-back frequently switched positions with Hwang Hee-chan to threaten the opponent’s goal, especially in the 29th minute of the first half and the sixth minute of the second half, when he beat three defenders with a two-footed dribble from the side, a fantastic individual feat that left the El Salvadoran players’ jaws dropping. 메이저놀이터
His one-on-one with Cho Kyu-sung and his curling mid-range shot showed why Lee’s left foot is world-class.
He has his own clothing brand in Vietnam and is also an influencer in his home country, where he is known to wield considerable power.
During the June A-Match, he attended a Vietnam-Korea exchange event in Hanoi. On June 22, Bantuan attended the Korea-Vietnam Cultural Exchange Night at the Vietnam National Convention Center (NCC) alongside President Yoon Seok-yul and former Vietnam national team coach Park Hang-seo. The event was attended by more than 2,500 people, including H.E. Mr. and Mrs. Thi Aing Xuan, Deputy State President, and local Hallyu fans.