Kim Shin-wook joins national team under Stielike

Kim Shin-wook (27, Ulsan), a tall striker who measures 196 centimeters high, has been invited by national soccer team coach Uli Stielike (61).

Coach Stielike has included Kim in the national team roster for the East Asian Cup (August 1-9, Wuhan, China), which was announced on Monday. It is the first time in about a year that Kim has been picked for the A match team since the World Cup soccer finals in Brazil last year.

“I have been keeping a close watch on him. It took a long time for him to recover his injury from the Asian Games last year. He was not in the best condition until early this year,” Stielike said. “However, his physical stamina has improved recently. He has scored eight goals in the K-League, which affected my decision.”

Kim, who suffered fractured shinbone at the Incheon Asian Games, did not participate at matches until the end of the season, even after he returned to his pro team Ulsan. National soccer team assistant coach Park Geon-ha (44) said, “Coach Stielike considered Kim Shin-wook as a player he needs to check in person at least once, and I understand he picked the East Asian Cup as the timing to have him on board.”

“I will agonize over how I will lead matches as a striker. I will pay attention, and take the lead in creating an environment to ensure that the team forms unity,” said Kim, the oldest among the team`s field players.

All members of the 23-member roster that was announced on the day are athletes in their 20s, with their average age standing at 24.3 years. Eighteen of them were born after the year 1990. Stielike said, “The team is the youngest group ever since I assumed the head coach post. I recruited them to evaluate younger players. I judged that it would be difficult to give younger players a chance if it is not this time.”

On his failure to recruit Yeom Ki-hoon (32, Suwon), who ranks first (16 goals) in overall scores in the K-League Classic in this season, Stielike said, “To give younger players a chance, I excluded all players at Yeom Ki-hoon’s age.”

While midfielder Lee Chan-dong (22, Gwangju) has made the A-match team roster for the first time in his career, Joo Min-gyu (25, Eland), the top scorer at the K-League Challenge (minor league) who was in spotlight after making the 50 preliminary entries, failed to join the roster.

The national team, which will enter the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province and start exercise on Monday next week, will leave for Wuhan on July 27.

wing@donga.com