Lee Ho-jae scores his debut goal in Germany! He scored despite a mere 4% probability of scoring... Darmstadt also staged a dramatic draw, coming back from 0-2 to 2-2.

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Ho-jae (26, Darmstadt), who challenged the German stage, left a strong impression from the opening match. He converted a shot with only a 4% scoring probability into a goal, laying the foundation for his team's dramatic draw.

On the 8th (Korean time), Lee Ho-jae came on as a substitute in the 75th minute of the 2026–2027 German 2. Bundesliga (second division) opening match between Holstein Kiel and Darmstadt at Merck Stadium am Völlenpfad in Darmstadt, Germany, scoring his debut goal on the European stage. Darmstadt managed to salvage a 2-2 draw after trailing 0-2.

Lee Ho-jae's goal came when the team was on the brink of defeat. Darmstadt conceded an early goal to Guillermo Valdez in the 8th minute and then allowed another goal from Phil Harres in the 42nd minute, falling behind 0-2.

Ultimately, Florian Kohfeldt, Darmstadt's head coach, made a decisive move. In the 75th minute, he substituted Finn Lakenmacher for Lee Ho-jae. The tactical substitution proved effective. Lee responded to expectations by scoring a goal just 16 minutes after stepping onto the field.

In the 81st minute, Lee received a pass from Kai Klepisch and immediately unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. The ball flew directly into the far left corner of the net. It was his first goal on the German stage in his debut match.

Most importantly, this was a goal scored from an extremely difficult position. According to the official Bundesliga website, Lee's equalizing goal had the lowest scoring probability among the four goals scored that day. The expected probability was a mere 4%. Yet, Lee broke through the slim odds. He did not miss his only chance of the match, shaking the opponent's net before roaring in celebration.

The official Bundesliga website also highlighted the moment: "In the 81st minute, joker Lee Ho-jae struck with a powerful shot from about 19 meters away, targeting the far left corner of the goal. It was a goal that brought desperately needed strength to the home team, which had lacked sharpness in attack."

German tabloid Bild also focused on Lee's performance. The media reported: "Rookie Lee Ho-jae scored his first goal on the German stage with a powerful shot, reviving hope once again."

Indeed, after Lee's goal, Darmstadt intensified their offensive pressure. They created multiple shooting opportunities in succession, pushing Kiel back, and finally secured the equalizer in the 91st minute. Alexander Bukotić converted a powerful header from a corner kick delivered by Lance Duivestein from the right side to make it 2-2.

Darmstadt, which had been on the verge of a 0-2 defeat, managed to secure a dramatic point starting with Lee's equalizing goal.

Lee played a pivotal role in sparking the comeback. In this match, he played for 30 minutes and demonstrated his finishing ability by converting his only shooting opportunity into a goal. He recorded one chance created and a 75% pass success rate, while also contributing defensively with one clearance and one header clear. Football statistics platform FootMob rated Lee at 7.2.

Lee Ho-jae, who had been a key striker for Pohang Steelers in the K League 1, joined Darmstadt on the 29th and made his debut on the European stage.

Darmstadt has high expectations for Lee Ho-jae. Under head coach Florian Kohfeldt, Darmstadt scored 57 goals in the 2025–2026 German second division season, ranking fourth in team scoring and finishing fifth in the league.

While their overall scoring ability was not poor, they urgently needed reinforcement up front ahead of the new season. This is because Isaac Lidebry and Fraser Hornby, who were responsible for the attack last season, both left the club simultaneously. Lidebry moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach, while Hornby transferred to Wolfsburg.

Darmstadt chose Lee Ho-jae as a resource to fill the void left by the two key strikers and even assigned him the number 9 jersey, symbolizing a central striker.

Lee Ho-jae, son of Yanbian Longding coach Lee Ki-hyung, nicknamed "Cannon Shooter," is a 193 cm tall striker who began playing soccer in New Zealand during his childhood. He joined Pohang in 2021, made his professional debut, and has since appeared in 149 K League 1 matches, recording 43 goals and seven assists.

Last season, he scored 15 goals and provided one assist in the league, achieving double-digit goals for the first time since his professional debut. Based on this performance, he was selected for the South Korean national team and participated in the 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship. He played in all tournament matches and even scored his A-match debut goal against Hong Kong in the second match.

His start on the European stage was equally impressive. Lee Ho-jae scored his debut goal in Germany's first match of the season.

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*This content was translated by AI.