The current ace of Jeonbuk Hyundai is undoubtedly Song “Songstar” Mingyu.
Song Mingyu was named the Man of the Match (MOM) in the first leg of the 2023-2024 Asian Champions League quarterfinals against Ulsan HD at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on Friday, scoring the game-winning goal in the fourth minute of the first leg. It wasn’t the only game. Song has been a standout in each of Jeonbuk’s four matches this season. In their K League opener against Daejeon Hana Citizens, he came on as a second-half substitute to help Ahn Hyun-beom equalize in the 40th minute.
It’s worth noting that Song plays as a central attacking midfielder rather than on the flanks. Since his time with the Pohang Steelers, Song has mostly played on the left wing. Although he doesn”t have great speed, he stood out for his excellent keeping, breaking forward with his strength, and making decisions based on his excellent positioning. In recognition of his abilities, 바카라사이트 Song won the K League 1 Young Player of the Year award in 2020 and joined Jeonbuk in the summer of 2021 for a huge transfer fee. He went on to represent the national team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
However, his explosive growth in Pohang seemed to stagnate.
After his move to Jeonbuk, he struggled every season and fell away from the national team. The turning point came last season. Coach Dan Petrescu, who took over at the end of last season, emphasizes a fast attack from the flanks. Naturally, he relied on wingers with great speed. For Song, it wasn”t a crisis, but a new opportunity. He switched to the center instead of the flanks. Of course, he still played on the flanks, but mainly in the center, where he could play a variety of plays. The change of position maximized Song’s strengths. Along with Ahn Hyun-beom, Song Mingyu was a bright spot in Jeonbuk’s offense that struggled last season.
This season, Song has become more mature in his play.
His breakthrough power is still there, and his passing has improved. Not only is he switching from side to side, but he is also making creative passes like a professional playmaker. Against Daejeon, he made a team-high four key passes despite coming on as a substitute. Song Mingyu leads Jeonbuk’s offense with his aggressive movement in the half-space. In fact, this isn’t the first time Song has played in the center. Under Kim Sang-sik, he was converted to a zero-top role due to an injury to the striker lineup and showed promise. After showing promise, Song Mingyu has been transformed into a central attacking midfielder this season, and he’s really exploding his potential.
The only weakness of Jeonbuk’s squad this season has been the lack of a specialized No. 10. Song Mingyu’s emergence has solved that problem. Coincidentally, 안전 토토사이트 Song has also been wearing the number 10 shirt this season. He is growing into an all-around attacker and is looking to make a leap forward once again. “I’m still not satisfied with my performance. If I improve and work harder, I’ll be able to make the A team again,” he said.