The Korea Football Association said on Wednesday, "Kim Seung-gyu (Al-Shabab) suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a training session on Wednesday. The decision has been made to cancel the call-up of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup. "As my family is in Qatar, the schedule for returning home will be determined later," the Korean Football Association said.
"Kim Seung-gyu was injured during an in-house game training last night. MRI results came out late and the call-out has been decided," he added. This is unfortunate news that Kim Seung-gyu will be sidelined ahead of an important match against Jordan. There are concerns that it could have a negative impact on Kim Seung-gyu's future career in 1990, leaving the Asian Cup right now.
Kim Seung-gyu is Korea's main goalkeeper. He played for Ulsan Hyundai, Vissel Kobe, Kashiwa Reysor, and Al Shabab, and maintained Korea's No. 1 goalkeeper position for several years. There is Cho Hyun-woo who commands the K-League, and Song Bum-keun challenged him, but he failed to surpass Kim Seung-gyu. Kim Seung-gyu, who was always evaluated as the No. 1 goalkeeper but was lagging behind in big stages such as the World Cup, has secured his position since head coach Paulo Bento. He was spotlighted because he was the best in the build-up capability among Korean goalkeepers, in addition to his experience and ability to defend himself.
Kim Seung-gyu, who successfully hosted the 2022 Qatar World Cup under Bento's trust, maintained his position as the No. 1 goalkeeper even after Jürgen Klinsmann was appointed. He also joined the list at the Qatar Asian Cup, showing off his capabilities once, showing off good defense and build-up against Bahrain. As expected, he was praised under the evaluation that the South Korean starting pitcher was Kim Seung-gyu.
He was excluded from the Asian Cup due to an unfortunate injury. Cho Hyun-woo and Song Bum-keun are on the list. Cho, who rarely brought the No. 1 goalkeeper position to Kim Seung-gyu despite his performance at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has a chance at an important time. Although his build-up capability is somewhat disappointing compared to Kim Seung-gyu, coach Klinsmann is likely to give Cho a chance.
Song Bum-keun is also a contender. Song has been known as a next-generation goalkeeper for the South Korean national team since childhood, and moved to Hyundai in Jeonbuk as the main goalkeeper, and has emerged as a top-ranked goalkeeper in the K-League. It was not easy to play in the national team due to the presence of Kim Seung-gyu and Cho Hyun-woo, but we will take this opportunity to gain recognition by Coach Klinsmann and make efforts to solidify our position in the national team.
The Korean national team will play against Jordan on Tuesday. Team Korea can clearly rank No. 1 in its group and play its third match against Malaysia only when it catches Jordan, which has elevated its mood by sweeping the match 4-0 against Malaysia. At a time when Kim Seung-gyu is absent, we need to wait and see who will be the clear alternative between Cho Hyun-woo and Song Bum-keun.
BY: 먹튀검증