K리그1・2의 최신 소식을 모두 확인 할 수 있는 공간입니다.
The Coupang Play Series returns again this year with a marquee match seeing the best players of the K League taking on La Liga powerhouse Atlético de Madrid at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Thursday, July 27. Fans in Korea will be able to witness some of the global superstars in their own backyard in what promises to be a fantastic night of football.
What Happened Last Year?
It was a momentous occasion around the same time last year when Tottenham Hotspur took on the cream of the K League, with Korean national team captain Son Heung-min turning out for his long-time club on home soil for the first time ever.
Much to the delight of the crowd, Son went on to score twice in the match after coming on as a second-half substitute with his attacking partner Harry Kane also netting two goals. The match also saw Richarlison make his first Spurs appearance, before going on to star for Brazil at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The North London club ultimately ran out 6-3 winners, but a certain Cho Gue-sung was on the scoresheet for Team K League. The 25-year-old has since garnered worldwide attention following his exploits at the World Cup, all of which ultimately earned him a move to Europe as Cho signed for FC Midtjylland in Denmark.
Prior to that match, there was a thrilling 3-3 draw between Team K League and Juventus in 2019.
Domestic stars in action
A number of domestic stars will team up for this match as they get set to challenge the might of Atlético Madrid. The K League, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this season, took the approach of having fan votes determine the first batch of players who will play on Thursday.
Daejeon Hana Citizen's Lee Chang-geun was the goalkeeper who the fans voted for to be between the sticks after receiving the most number of votes amongst Korean players, just behind Daegu FC's emblematic captain Cesinha. Teenage midfielder Bae Jun-ho has also been selected after the Daejeon prospect earned several plaudits for his displays at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina this year, helping Korea reach the semi-finals.
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors' Paik Seung-ho will also line up in midfield, with fellow La Masia graduate Lee Seung-woo of Suwon FC picked in attack alongside two of this season's joint top-scorers Ulsan Hyundai's Joo Min-kyu and Na Sang-ho of FC Seoul.
Manager Hong Myung-bo and his assistant Choi Won-kwon announced the "Pick Eleven," which is essentially the rest of the squad after taking into account various factors including positions and K League club distribution. Ulsan's Jo Hyeon-woo gets the nod in this all-star team for the third time running, with other notable inductees being Zeca, Alex Grant (both Pohang Steelers), Aleksandar Paločević (FC Seoul) and Gerso Fernandes (Incheon United).
[READ: Interview - Daejeon Hana Citizen's Anton Kryvotsyuk]
The Adversary
Atletico suffered a surprise group-stage exit in the UEFA Champions League last season, before going on to finish in third place in La Liga, just a point shy of the runners-up spot.
Therefore, Diego Simeone has already strengthened his team's defence with the free transfers of Cesar Azpilicueta and Çağlar Söyüncü as they once again aim to challenge on both fronts next season.
Interestingly, this will be Atlético's maiden visit to Korea since the club was founded in 1903. Following the game against Team K League on July 27, they will take on reigning UEFA Champions League winners Manchester City at the same venue three days later as also part of the Coupang Play Series.
Team K League Full Squad
The "Fan XI" was determined on July 17 and consists of one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards. Voting began on July 5 and closed on July 16 via the Kick application.
Fan XI
Goalkeeper
Lee Chang-geun, Daejeon Hana Citizen (52, 160 votes)
Defenders
Anton Kryvotsyuk, Daejeon Hana Citizen (42,582)
Seol Young-woo, Ulsan Hyundai (42,001)
Jeong Tae-wook, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (41,553)
Kim Young-gwon, Ulsan Hyundai (39,836)
Midfielders
Cesinha, Daegu FC (56,133)
Paik Seung-ho, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (49,058)
Bae Jun-ho, Daejeon Hana Citizen (42,370)
Forwards
Lee Seung-woo, Suwon FC (46,390)
Na Sang-ho, FC Seoul (44,494)
Joo Min-kyu, Ulsan Hyundai (43,056)
Rest of the Squad
On July 19, manager Hong Myung-bo and his assistant Choi Won-kwon announced the "Pick Eleven" which consists of the following players:
Jo Hyeon-woo, Ulsan Hyundai
Alex Grant, Pohang Steelers
Lee Ki-je, Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Timo Letschert, Gwangju FC
Hwang Jae-won, Daegu FC
Lee Soon-min, Gwangju FC
Han Kook-young, Gangwon FC
Aleksandar Paločević, FC Seoul
Gerso Fernandes, Incheon United
Zeca, Pohang Steelers
Reis, Jeju United
Where to Watch
Fans in Korea can watch the match live on Coupang Play.
Shibajee Das
K League United Guest Columnist
Twitter - @Shibagoal
