Why was Hwang Hee-chan picked again? Korea's top-rated player in Saudi Arabia match with '8.0'... 1 assist and 4 chances created, 'most among both teams'

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Hwang Hee-chan (30, Schalke), whose reselection had raised questions, created the most scoring opportunities of any player from either team in the match against Saudi Arabia.

The South Korean national football team, led by interim head coach Roberto Moreno, lost 2-3 to Saudi Arabia in a friendly held at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, at 11:30 p.m. (KST) on the 13th.

South Korea conceded the opening goal to Marwan Alsaifi in stoppage time of the first half, but Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas) restored parity with a right-footed volley off a cross from Seol Yeong-woo in the second minute of the second half. However, it was painful to concede two goals within three minutes to Mohamed Kanno in the 11th minute and Abdulrahman Al-Amri in the 14th minute of the second half. Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) recovered one goal off a pass from Hwang Hee-chan in the 23rd minute of the second half, but an equalizer never came.

The Moreno side defeated Ecuador 3-0 before losing 1-4 to Uruguay in the four-match A-international window held domestically in September and October. They then drew 0-0 with Venezuela and beat Uzbekistan 2-0. With the loss to Saudi Arabia, the record since head coach Moreno's appointment stands at two wins, one draw, and two losses.

Despite the defeat, Hwang Hee-chan's performance stood out. Starting as a left winger and playing for 81 minutes, Hwang received the highest rating of 8.0 among South Korean players from football statistics outlet FotMob. Son Heung-min (LAFC), Oh Hyeon-gyu, Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), and Lee Jae-sung each took one pass from Hwang Hee-chan to attempt a shot.

When the national team roster was announced, the reception toward Hwang Hee-chan was not entirely favorable. Following the A-international window in September and October, rumors of retirement from the national team emerged for three players born in 1996—Hwang Hee-chan, Kim Min-jae, and Hwang In-beom—and even spread to allegations of discord with captain Son Heung-min.

On the 12th, one day before the Saudi Arabia match, Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom, and Hwang Hee-chan issued a joint statement. The five players stated that they gathered in Doha after being called up to have an honest conversation about the team's preparation process and management.

They also drew a clear line, stating, "It is completely untrue that we tried to push through specific demands under the condition of retirement."

His performance with his club was also disappointing. Hwang Hee-chan, who is playing on loan for Schalke in Germany this season, had recorded one assist and no goals in five Bundesliga matches at the time the national team roster was announced on the 29th of last month.

Furthermore, Hwang Hee-chan received a yellow card in the German Football Association (DFB) Pokal match against Dynamo Dresden for shoving a reserve referee while protesting a decision. Criticism poured in over his unsportsmanlike conduct.

This was the background behind voices questioning why Hwang Hee-chan was selected again. Although he appeared in two more league matches afterward, he failed to add any attacking points, finishing with one assist in seven Bundesliga games before joining the national team.

However, head coach Moreno's trust remained unchanged. At the time of the roster announcement, all four players responded that they deserved selection for the national team based on their performance, regarding the simultaneous call-up of Son Heung-min and the '96LINE'. Moreno also assigned Hwang Hee-chan to the left flank in the Saudi Arabia match. Hwang lived up to expectations.

The first player for whom Hwang Hee-chan opened a chance was Son Heung-min. Around the 19th minute of the first half, after breaking through Saudi Arabia's defense with quick dribbling, he passed the ball to Son Heung-min in the center of the penalty box. Son's left-footed shot narrowly missed past the right goalpost. In the 45th minute of the first half, he set up Oh Hyeon-gyu. This time, Oh's right-footed shot was blocked by the defense.

In the 18th minute of the second half, with South Korea trailing 1-3, Lee Kang-in took a left-footed shot from outside the penalty box off a pass from Hwang Hee-chan, but the Saudi goalkeeper saved it. The fourth chance resulted in a goal. In the 23rd minute of the second half, Hwang played the ball forward from the left side of the penalty area, and Lee Jae-sung, who had come on as a substitute two minutes earlier, pushed it in with his left foot.

In addition, Hwang Hee-chan touched the ball 40 times that day and completed 23 out of 25 passes to teammates. His pass success rate was 92%. He attempted two long passes and succeeded on both. He attempted six dribbles and succeeded three times, and recorded five recoveries. Accordingly, FotMob awarded Hwang a high rating of 8.0.

Another football statistics outlet, SofaScore, gave the same assessment. SofaScore also gave Hwang Hee-chan the highest rating among South Korean players at 7.7. He proved his worth in the match against Saudi Arabia.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original