All eyes will be on South Korea’s wildcard (players over 24 years old) Hwang Sun-hong as they look to win a third straight men’s soccer title at the Asian Games. The absence of a striker, which was initially considered an absolute requirement, has been criticized for taking away some of the weight. However, the three wildcards in the squad are desperate and will be leading the charge for gold.

Hwang Sun-hong, head coach of the Korean National Football Team, announced the final 22-man roster for the Hangzhou Asian Games on Thursday. Major overseas players such as Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Hong Hyun-seok (Ghent) all made the cut.

However, there were no strikers among the three wild cards. South Korea has had at least one wildcard on the offensive side of the ball at every Asian Games since the 2006 Doha Games, when Lee Chun-su was selected as a wildcard. It’s been 17 years since an Asian Games wild card hasn’t included a striker.

“Striker is a special position, so we waited until the last minute,” says Hwang. I wish I could have picked him, but in the end, I had to make a different choice,” he said, adding, “The strikers we have now are not inferior. If we do our best to prepare for the rest of the season, I think we can be competitive in the main event.”

Hwang’s three wild cards are midfielder Baek Seung-ho, central defender Park Jin-seop (Jeonbuk), and fullback Seol Young-woo (Ulsan).

When Hwang was faced with a difficult choice of strikers, he prioritized “multi-ability. The final roster for the Asian Games is 22, with only 19 field players, excluding three goalkeepers. Considering the sweltering weather and tight schedule, players with the ability to play a variety of positions are absolutely necessary. Baek Seung-ho, Park Jin-seop, and Seol Young-woo all play for their respective clubs, and they all fit the bill for multiplayer. Baek Seung-ho can cover most of the midfield area, while Park Jin-seop excels in both center back and defensive midfield. Seol-Young-woo can play both left and right fullback, something few fullbacks can do.

All of these players are in need of special military service benefits. But just as desperate as they are, they are equally desperate for the Taeguk mark.

Baek Seung-ho is now a mainstay in the A team, but that wasn’t the case at the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games five years ago. Not only did he not make the cut, but he also missed the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship and the Tokyo Olympics. At the Tokyo Olympics, Seol was called up by coach Kim Hak-bum, but his dreams of winning a medal were dashed when South Korea was eliminated in the quarterfinals. The Asian Games is a golden opportunity for Seol to go for gold.온라인바카라

Park Jin-seop is more eager than any other athlete as this will be his first time wearing the Taeguk mark. Especially since last season was the minimum age for joining the mercantile industry, he is no longer eligible to join the mercantile industry. If he doesn’t win gold this time, he will have to continue his career in the K4 League as a public service worker. There is no athlete more desperate than him.