Yang Min-hyuk, who weathered the storm over his "military exemption remarks," scores a stunning debut goal on the Belgian stage! A "penance goal" arrives in just three loan matches... Vitesse wins 5-1

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Yang Min-hyuk (20, KVC Vitesse), a gold medalist in men's football at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, scored his debut goal on the Belgian stage in his return match for his club.

On the 12th (Korean time), Yang made a substitute appearance in Vitesse's home match against Royal Antwerp in Round 8 of the "2026-2027 Belgian Jupiler Pro League" at Het Kuipje in Vitesse, Belgium, scoring the decisive goal to lead his team to a 5-1 victory.

Yang, who had been waiting on the bench for his chance, entered the field in the 40th minute of the second half, replacing central second-line attacker Sakamoto Isara, as his team led comfortably 4-1.

His goal came just 11 minutes after entering the game, in the 51st minute of the second half. In a counter-attack situation, Yang received a long throw from goalkeeper Andreas Jeong Dal and used his speed to break quickly down the right flank. After getting past one defender, he unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from outside the penalty area, sending the ball into the net. It was his debut goal in just three league appearances this season.

Thanks to Yang's decisive goal, Vitesse finished the match 5-1, extending their winning streak to four games and rising to sixth place in the league (4 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses; 13 points).

Yang Min-hyuk, who made his professional debut with K League 1's Gangwon FC and officially joined English Premier League (EPL) side Tottenham Hotspur in January 2025, is continuing his fourth loan spell after stints at Queens Park Rangers, Portsmouth, and Coventry City (all in England's second tier), having signed a loan contract with Vitesse this summer.

He played a key role in the recently concluded 2026 Asian Games final, recording an assist among other standout performances, contributing to Korean football's first-ever four consecutive titles at the tournament.

However, he faced a wave of criticism following an interview controversy that erupted immediately after the championship. At the time, Yang stated, "I didn't think much about the medal or the trophy. Since there was the reward of military exemption, I feel like I played focusing only on that," drawing fierce backlash.

As public criticism spread, Yang promptly posted an apology on his social media (SNS). He explained, "Participating in the Asian Games itself held great meaning for me, and naturally, I did my best with winning as my goal," adding, "The fact that military service benefits were one of several motivations to achieve a better result was miscommunicated," bowing his head in apology.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original