Gangwon FC striker Lee Jeong-hyeop (32, photo) in the professional soccer team smiled awkwardly at a placard hung in the stands during the match against the Pohang Steelers on the 21st. It was the phrase ‘handsome Lee Jeong-hyeop’ that greeted him when he was substituted in the 40th minute of the second half when the score was 0-0.
Lee Jeong-hyeop met with reporters and said, “I always feel sorry for the fans.” The atmosphere has revived to the point that even my co-workers teased me by saying, ‘Handsome Lee Jeong-hyeop?’” he said.
The reason why the fans who put up Lee Jeong-hyeop’s placards are grateful and sorry is that it has been three months since he participated. Lee Jeong-hyeop tore the lateral and posterior ligaments in his left knee during training last March. If he gets on the operating table, it’s a big injury that he has to consider being out of the season. However, Lee Jeong-hyeop accelerated his comeback through rehabilitation that strengthened the muscles around him. He said, “At first, I thought it would not be easy this year because the pain did not decrease. However, when the fans cheered for the comeback through SNS messages, it gave me strength. He still hurts, but he just wanted to run,” he said.
He added, “I think good days will come for our team if we improve our condition.”
Lee Jeong-hyeop’s early return was a great help to Gangwon. Gangwon is the only one of the 12 K-League 1 teams to score single-digit points (seven goals in 14 matches), and is suffering from an empty void. Another striker, Dino, was also sidelined due to a concussion, and as there were no goals in the last 4 games, the team fell to 11th place in the relegation zone.
Lee Jung-hyeop said, “Obviously, our team is not scoring well compared to this time last year (13 goals). I run with the thought that if I help even a little bit, (Yang) Hyun-jun, (Kim) Dae-won, and players like Gallego will do it.”
In fact, with Lee Jeong-hyeop’s participation,메이저사이트 Gangwon’s strength, the side wing, also appeared to regain its destructive power. The proof is that Gangwon launched an offensive at the end of the match against Pohang. Gangwon coach Choi Yong-soo welcomed them, saying, “The fight for linkage play and air supremacy is still the same.”
Lee Jeong-hyeop also promised a quick revival. He said, “It is true that the sense of the game is still lacking. Still, my colleagues were helping me, so I was able to adapt quickly,” he said. “I think it will gradually get better in the future. We have to do well even if we think about our fans.”