Loss against Ivory Coast 0-4, but Hwang Hee-chan's brilliant performance

The Korean national soccer team was defeated 0-4 in an evaluation match against Ivory Coast. In this match held at Milton Keynes Stadium MK in England on the 28th (Korean time), Hong Myung-Boho tested a new combination, but the results were disastrous.

However, even in the crushing defeat, Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton)’s performance stood out. While Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), who were in poor condition due to cold symptoms, remained on the bench, Hwang Hee-chan started as a side striker and played for about 58 minutes until the 13th minute of the second half.

Thorn season, standing on the stage of proof

For Hwang Hee-chan, this match was practically a ‘test bed’. His progress this season was not smooth. Their team, Wolverhampton, fell to the bottom of the English Premier League with only 3 wins (8 draws, 20 losses) in 31 games, and relegation to the second division is certain.

Hwang Hee-chan also had to be out of the line for a long time due to frequent injuries. In September of last year, he was excluded from the national team roster even though he was not injured, and he was benched even after being called up. He, who had not been able to play for his team until recently due to a calf injury, was called by coach Hong Myung-bo immediately after returning to the substitute list after 5 games on the 4th and suddenly joined the national team.

There were no attack points, but threatening play continued

Coach Hong Myung-bo selected Hwang Hee-chan as the core of Plan A and gave him the opportunity to be selected, and Hwang Hee-chan responded with his skills. Although he failed to record any attack points, he created several threatening scenes with his light movements.

In the 12th minute of the first half, he made the opposing goalkeeper nervous with a bold cannonball shot from the left side, and in the 20th minute of the first half, he created a scoring opportunity with a sharp pass aimed at Bae Jun-ho in front of the goal. Even after moving to the right side in the second half, he maintained a high level of activity and showed off his sharp sense of toe by receiving a long pass from Kim Min-jae in the 11th minute of the second half and delivering an accurate cross to Oh Hyun-gyu, who was rushing toward the goal.

Hwang Hee-chan “We will show a better performance in the World Cup finals”

Hwang Hee-chan, who met at the joint coverage area after the game, expressed his disappointment, saying, “It was a game with a new combination, but my heart is very heavy because the results were not good.” However, at the same time, he also emphasized the positive aspect, saying, “It was a game where we could learn what we need to improve and improve before the World Cup.”

Hwang Hee-chan analyzed, "I tried to create good scenes in the game with my young friends, and the offensive development was very good in the early part of the game. If we develop the strength to maintain the momentum from the early part until the second half, we can become a stronger team."

He added, "It was a game that gave me confidence that if I talk to the players again after the game and reorganize my team, I will be able to show a better performance in the World Cup finals."

Hwang Hee-chan, who harassed the Ivory Coast defense with his aggressive breakthroughs and pressure, reignited the competition for the starting spot in the North and Central America World Cup through this game. He emphasized, “There are many good players on our team, but in the end, soccer is about getting results and winning,” and added, “All players should recognize and prepare for the fact that the process of achieving victory is more important than anything else.”