Lee Dong-jun leads S. Korea to victory over China with his winner

The South Korean U-23 national football team outclassed their Chinese opponent judging from their ball possession rate of 67.6%, but they had problems scoring goals. It seemed the match against the weakest squad of the group would end in a scoreless draw after the 90 minutes.

It was Lee Dong-jun who put an end to the 93-minute goal drought. Lee, who was substituted in the 58th minute, received a pass from Kim Jin-gyu, dribbled past a defender, and composedly kicked the ball into the left corner. It was a winner that devastated the Chinese team, which could have earned one point if they had held out a few more seconds.

Lee helped his team earn three points after beating China 1-0 at the Tinsulanon Stadium in Songkhla, Thailand on Friday. South Korea became the leader in Group C as Iran and Uzbekistan were held to a 1-1 draw earlier Friday. With Friday’s victory, South Korea’s U-23 national football team has recorded 11 wins, three draws, and one loss against China.

Lee Dong-jun was chosen as the K League 2 MVP last year by scoring the second highest offensive points (13 goals and seven assists) in the league. The news did not draw much attention since he played in the second-tier league, but he has made his presence known by proving the South Korean squad’s dominance over the Chinese squad. Lee will be playing in the K League 1 from this year since his team Busan had been promoted to the top league.


Seung-Kun Lee why@donga.com