*This content was translated by AI.
Lee Seung-woo (28, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), who was left out of the first roster under coach Roberto Moreno, shared his honest feelings about failing to make the national team in the mixed zone.
On the 16th, after completing the first match of the 2026–2027 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) league stage against Kashiwa Reysol at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Lee Seung-woo met with reporters in the mixed zone and calmly yet sincerely opened up about his exclusion from the national team roster.
Roberto Moreno, the new interim head coach of the South Korean national football team, announced a 30-player roster for the September–October A-matches during a press conference held on the 14th at Cheonan Korea Football Park in Chungcheongnam-do. While new faces such as Kim Geon-hee, Park Tae-jun, and Kim Min-su were boldly selected and Gu Seong-yun, Jung Seung-won, and Choi Jun returned, Lee Seung-woo, who has maintained good form in recent league matches, was left off the list.
Notably, Coach Moreno visited Jeonju World Cup Stadium that day to personally observe the Korean players.
Lee Seung-woo said, "I think I've talked too much," and added, "Of course, my heart has always been the same. It's just disappointing," without hiding his true emotions.
He continued, "But isn't this an unavoidable result? I am doing my best in the position I can play. Since better performance at Jeonbuk will bring more opportunities, I want to continue showing good form for my club team."
Putting aside the disappointment of missing the national team, Lee Seung-woo expressed satisfaction with his performance on the ACLE stage that day. Starting the match and shaking up Kashiwa's defense, he reflected, "It was really fun. Tactics in domestic leagues are almost all similar, but facing a team from another country with new tactics made it much more interesting. Just playing on Asia's top stage was enjoyable. Although my body was tired, it was a rewarding match."
Lee Seung-woo also shared specific impressions about Kashiwa's distinct playing style. He said, "Japanese players rarely make mistakes in basic passes, ball control, and power adjustment—they are very delicate. We struggled against their strong pressure and responses in the first half, but as Kashiwa exerted too much effort early on, they began to tire in the second half, allowing us to seize opportunities." He added, "Since it was a home game, the players' determination to win regardless of whether the opponent was a Japanese team or anyone else led to our comeback victory in the second half."
Regarding the incident where he received a warning from the referee during a substitution delay in the 41st minute of the second half, Lee Seung-woo laughed it off: "There seemed to be some communication issues during the substitution process, so I tried to convey the message instead. The referee appeared to have a hot temper. It was surprising when he suddenly showed me a card."
Finally, Lee Seung-woo added, "Football has no single correct answer, which makes it truly difficult. I feel this again. This Asian club competition matchup will be a great help for our journey ahead."
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
