The President’s Cup is often referred to as the “soccer SATs” for soccer players, as it’s the last high school soccer national tournament before colleges begin recruiting. Although the starting lineup is usually dominated by juniors, talented sophomores often compete with their older siblings on the field.
Seoul Boyango and Seoul Yeongdeungpo Gongdo, who will compete in the 56th Presidential Geumbae Final on August 2 at Jecheon Sports Complex, also have scary younger siblings as a factor in their victory or defeat.
For Boyango, youth national team member Lee Chang-woo is a must. An early starter for the team, he participated in the U-17 Asian Cup in Thailand last July. A midfielder who excels both offensively and defensively, Lee is an integral part of VOGO’s stingy defense. 먹튀검증
“Although (Lee) Chang-woo was the only one who went to the Asian Cup, we have a few other players who are at the youth national team level,” said Boyango coach Shim Deok-bo. “Players like forward Baek Ga-on and defenders Kim Jun-hee and Hwang Seung-ho will do their job if given the chance.” “Midfielder Park Chang-hyun is also a sophomore with great skills, and it’s unfortunate that he got injured in the quarterfinals against Bupyeonggo,” he added.
Yeongdeungpo Gongdo, which has a relatively high proportion of sophomores, also has a sophomore who is no slouch. One of them is striker Kim Hyun-min, who also participated in the Asian Cup. Kim had been on the bench for a long time due to injury until the group stage, but since the tournament, he has been showing his best form. Kim’s performance is important for the team as it will help them to take the spotlight off Kim Tae-won, who has the most goals in the tournament (nine).
“(Kim) Hyun-min is a reliable younger brother,” Kim said, “and I might be his helper in the final.”
The sophomores’ performance in the final will go beyond lifting the gold medal, as it will also determine whether or not they qualify for the U-17 World Cup in Indonesia in November. Byun Sung-hwan, the head coach of the U-17 national soccer team, visited the gold medal ceremony to see the candidates in action.