"Lost to Saudi Arabia, yet Lee Kang-in couldn't even rest"... Played the full 90 minutes in friendly; Spanish media also pointed out physical burden

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A local Spanish media outlet highlighted the playing time burden on Lee Kang-in (25, Atletico Madrid), who played the full 90 minutes in the match against Saudi Arabia.

Spain's Atletico-focused outlet Estoesatleti reported on the 14th (Korean time), "Even amid Korea's loss to Saudi Arabia, Lee Kang-in could not rest," adding, "Lee Kang-in played the full 90 minutes in the Saudi Arabia match."

The Korean national football team, led by interim head coach Roberto Moreno, lost 2-3 in a friendly against Saudi Arabia held on the 13th at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

Korea conceded the opening goal to Marwan Alsaahfi during stoppage time in the first half. Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu slipped while trying to block an opposing attack, and Alsaahfi did not miss the opportunity.

Korea counterattacked right after the start of the second half. In the 2nd minute of the second half, Oh Hyeon-gyu finished with a right-footed volley from a cross by Seol Yeong-woo on the right flank, leveling the score at 1-1. However, the joy was short-lived. Korea conceded to Mohamed Kanno in the 11th minute of the second half, and three minutes later allowed a header from Abdulrahman Al-Amri from a corner kick situation.

Lee Jae-sung scored a goal to narrow the gap, assisted by Hwang Hee-chan, in the 23rd minute of the second half, but that was as far as it went. Korea ultimately failed to score an equalizer and accepted a one-goal defeat.

Lee Kang-in stayed on the pitch until the final whistle blew. Starting as a right-side midfielder in Korea's 4-4-2 formation, he helped develop attacks but did not record a goal or an assist.

He threatened the opposing goal with several shots but had to swallow his disappointment against the goalkeeper's saves. Lee Kang-in converted three of his four shots on target that day. He also recorded two chances created and four successful dribbles.

Football statistics site FotMob gave Lee Kang-in a rating of 7.8. It was the second-highest rating among Korean players, following Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04, 8.0 points).

The local media's attention was not limited to the match performance alone. Estoesatleti noted, "What is noteworthy is that Lee Kang-in was given no rest at all," adding, "Lee Kang-in remained on the pitch throughout the match and played all 90 minutes."

They also highlighted that despite playing until the end, he could not change the result. The outlet assessed, "In this match where it was difficult to find rotation among key players, both teams showed fluctuations in performance."

It continued, "Even in the shocking situation of 1-3, Korea displayed its pride toward winning," while adding, "The physical and tactical efforts of the players were not enough to equalize, and even less so to turn the game around."

The outlet also pointed out, "It was an intense friendly that left a burden of playing time on the players' legs," noting, "Korea is left with the task of correcting defensive mistakes ahead of upcoming matches."

There is a reason why local Spanish media are watching Lee Kang-in's national team appearances so closely. Lee Kang-in has been a key part of the attack since his first season after joining Atletico.

Lee Kang-in, who left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France this summer to wear the Atletico uniform, signed a contract until June 2031.

He received the number 7 jersey, previously worn by Atletico legend Antoine Griezmann (Orlando City). This is a point that shows how high Atletico's expectations are for Lee Kang-in.

In fact, Lee Kang-in immediately secured a starting position while earning the trust of manager Diego Simeone after joining. He appeared in all 12 La Liga matches this season without missing any, starting 10 of them. His league record is two goals and one assist.

The national team schedule is not yet over. Korea will play its final A-match of the year against Qatar at 11 p.m. on the 17th in Doha. After completing his national team duties, Lee Kang-in must return to Atletico to continue with league and UEFA Champions League schedules.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original