Kwon shines in 5-0 thrashing of Yemen
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Kwon Chang-hoon, center, celebrates the first of his three goals against Yemen in Korea’s 5-0 victory at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship in Doha, Saturday. / Yonhap
By John Duerden
Job done. After two games of three in Group C of the 2016 AFC U23 Championships, South Korea has already qualified for the knockout stage. The Taegeuk Warriors sit on top of the standings after following up Wednesday's 2-1 win over Uzbekistan with a 5-0 thrashing of Yemen, Saturday.
Next comes Iraq, which also qualified, Tuesday. Crucially, both teams will be able to rest a few players in preparation for the quarterfinal and that will be welcome for coach Shin Tae-yong with the games coming thick and fast in Qatar. A tie in that game will ensure that Korean finishes first and then will face the second-placed team from Group D in the next stage. It is too early to say whether this is preferable with Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Australia all possible.
The win over Yemen was expected but was total. The headlines will go to Kwon Chang-hoon, the highly-rated attacking midfielder who scored a hat trick before the first half was finished. There are hopes that the Suwon Samsung Bluewings star can go on to become a major player for his country and he showed just what the fuss is all about. More good news is that he didn't seem to show any effects from a knee injury that kept him out of the first half against Uzbekistan.
Kwon's goals were supremely well-taken. The first came via a pass from the impressive Hwang Hee-chan, his third assist, and the finish was composed. The second was a fine header and then the third, coming four minutes before the break, was an emphatic rising shot from inside the area that ended up in the roof of the net.
There are reportedly scouts from clubs in Germany and the Netherlands who have traveled specifically to Qatar to watch Kwon. His success is a double-edged sword for Suwon. The club will be resigned to losing the star sooner or later and his latest exploits make sooner much more likely.
The second half saw Ryu Seung-woo and Kim Seung-jun add to the score line to make it a perfect evening for Korea. It is not just about Kwon. Hwang looked inventive and full of energy against Yemen, and Ryu showed why he plays for Bayer Leverkusen, one of the top clubs in Germany.
“It's nice to score three goals,” said Kwon after the game. “It is down, however, to my team-mates who made it easy for me. It was a good win for us but we know that there is still a long way to go.”
To get to the knockout stage is just the first step. The tournament is nice to win in its own right but the most important prize is that if you finish in the top three ― by reaching the final or by winning the third and fourth place play-off ― then you qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics. That is the real target and then should Korea finish in the top three in Brazil, this talented group of young players will be exempted from their 21-month long mandatory military service period.
That would also make it easier for these Taegeuk Warriors to go and play in Europe but for Kwon Chang-hoon, it is unlikely to make much difference. He'll be there before too long.