“We have to overcome China, who reached the quarterfinals on merit.”
The South Korean Asian Games football team, led by Hwang Sun-hong (55), will take on China at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium on October 1 (KST) in the football quarterfinals of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
In the quarterfinals, China will be one of the toughest opponents of the tournament. ‘Home advantage’ is expected.
Chinese crowds are known for their enthusiastic support. Regardless of the event, they pack the stadiums and shout “cha!”, the Chinese word for “aja!”, nonstop. The tournament will also feature no video assistant referee (VAR), which is a major concern for the Chinese, who are known for their harsh fouls on opponents.
Uhm Won-sang, who played a key role in the round of 16 match against Kyrgyzstan on Sept. 27, met with reporters after the match. Uhm Won-sang was injured in an overly rough tackle in an exhibition match against China in June.
“It was an unexpected injury. I was hit hard. I have painful memories,” he recalled.
“But it’s September now. It’s not June, it’s a different month where we have to prepare anew. It’s a game we have to win. We have to get over the hump,” he emphasized.
In June, Hwang Sun-hong faced China twice in a row, with the national team winning once and losing once.
“Actually, this is China, and it’s not just us that’s worried, it’s what we have to overcome,” said Uhm Won-sang. “China is a ghostly team. They made it to the quarterfinals on their own merit. We have to prepare well. It’s going to be a tough match, but we have to overcome it.”스포츠토토
Uhm Won-sang has formed a strong attacking second line with Jung Woo-young, Lee Kang-in, and Song Min-gyu in the tournament. Uhm Won-sang is good at both scoring and assisting. However, he was not greedy for goals.
“There is no greed for goals here. It would be great if everyone could score like in this game. Not just me, but everyone here. (Jung) Woo-young, (Cho) Young-wook, (Lee) Kang-in, Park (Jae-yong), they can all score. I’m not greedy about scoring. I just want someone to score another goal,” he laughed.
He added, “I love it when Kang In-soo puts in passes. I also like to move around. With Kang In-jin joining the team, I’m thinking that if I utilize his passes well, I’ll be able to receive good balls,” he added.