Park Chu-young Scores 4th Goal in Monaco Win
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
AS Monaco striker Park Chu-young netted his fourth goal of the season in a 1-0 win over Stade Rennais, Thursday (KST).
The 24-year-old played the full match in the French Ligue 1 game and scored the game's only goal in the first half, as Monaco improved its record to 8-1-7, ranked 11th in the league table.
In the 20th, Brazilian midfielder Nene's free kick on the left side of midfield was deflected by defender Sebastien Puygrenier's header to a dashing Park, who fired it into the net.
The score was the first for the South Korean international since Oct. 25, when he found the target against US Boulogne. During that spell, he missed two games due to a thigh injury he picked up against Grenoble Foot 38 on Nov. 8.
Park's winner allowed Monaco to snap its sloppy five-game winless streak ― a stretch which saw them draw one and lose four, including three straight.
Park had numerous other chances, including one in the 17th minute where Francois Modesto lobbed a cross from the left side which Park sent over the net.
After putting his side ahead, Park nearly set up another, sending the ball through to Nene who was rushing into the box but it was grabbed by the goalie.
Eight minutes into the second half, Park came face-to-face with the goalkeeper, but a defender's tackle turned it into a corner.
At 35 minutes, he blasted a shot from the left of the penalty area off a pass from the midfield, but it was wide of the mark.
Rennais tried to turn the game around from the midpoint of the second half, but Monaco preserved the win.
Meanwhile, Park was shown a yellow card in stoppage time after interrupting a goal kick.