AG soccer team aims for third straight gold medal...roster glamorous, but 'don't let your guard down'
The Korean men's national soccer team is aiming for a third consecutive gold medal at the Asian Games.
The Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games 텍사스홀덤 officially kick off on the 23rd. But with soccer being one of the more competitive sports, the action starts before the opening ceremony.
The men's national soccer team has won five gold, three silver, and three bronze medals at the Asian Games so far, making it one of the most prolific medal-winning sports in the Games. The team also won back-to-back gold medals in Incheon in 2014 and Palembang in Jakarta in 2018. Now, the Hangzhou Asian Games team, led by head coach Hwang Sun-hong, will be aiming for a third consecutive gold medal.
The roster for the team traveling to Hangzhou is quite impressive, with Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in, who was recently confirmed as a member of the squad, along with Europeans like Stuttgart's Jung Woo-young and Gent's Hong Hyun-seok. They're joined by K-Riggers like Song Min-kyu and Uhm Won-sang, both of whom have international experience, and wildcards Baek Seung-ho, Park Jin-seop, and Seol Young-woo.
Such a colorful lineup for the national team. However, they can't afford to let their guard down, as the last time they competed in Jakarta, they had the best players in Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, and Hwang Eui-jo, but they had to work hard to win the gold medal. The team's leadership has also been criticized, so this tournament won't be easy either.
The team will kick off the tournament against Kuwait in the first round of group play on Sept. 19, followed by Thailand on Sept. 21 and Bahrain on Sept. 24.