“Buildup, tough play, these are things I need to learn.”
Jeonbuk Hyundai U-17 (Youngsanggo) defender Kim Gun-woo was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) after his team defeated Suwon Samsung U-17 (Matanggo) 2-1 to lift the trophy in the high school U-17 final of the 2023 Ground.N K League Youth Championship at Cheonan Stadium on April 28.
“It’s the first time I’ve won a tournament since coming to Jeonbuk, so I’m happy,” Kim said after the game, “and since it’s the final, I told us to stick together and play until the end.”
After taking a 2-0 lead, they conceded a goal in the second half, but kept the lead. “We had to defend until the end,” Kim said. I’m just sorry that we conceded one. We could have taken it easy with a two-goal lead, but we had a difficult game trying to defend it.”
This is the first trophy for Jeonbuk U-17 and their best result in the tournament. The team hasn’t won a trophy since the championship was first held in 2015, but they defeated ‘powerhouse’ Suwon, who won the title in 2017 and 2018.
Jeonbuk head coach Lee Kwang-hyun said, “Gunwoo has good physicality. But he needs to be a tough defender. It’s the same for every player. If he emphasizes his strengths and complements his weaknesses, he will be a good player.”
Kim Gun-woo laughed and said, “It’s true that I’m passive,” and added, 메이저놀이터 “The coach told me to be rougher and foul occasionally. I’m thinking about it, but I’m not practicing it,” he confessed.
It’s his first MVP. Kim Gun-woo said, “It’s so undeserved that I wonder if I deserve it. I feel like I need to work harder,” he said, adding, “I have good physicality and am confident in competing for headers and aerial balls. I don’t lose in a physical fight.”
His role models are Hong Jeong-ho and Park Jin-seop. Kim Gun-woo said, “Build-ups, tough play, and other things I need to learn. “I want to make my professional debut with Jeonbuk Hyundai, and after that, I want to go to the national team and overseas,” he said, adding, “I need to work harder. Then I can succeed like those players.”
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