Daylight savings this Sunday for US but not Europe so set your clocks appropriately.
| Day | Time | Player | Club | Opponent | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | 3:00 PM | Lee Kang In | Valencia | @Alaves | BeIn |
| Saturday | 7:00 AM | Ki Sung Yueng | Mallorca | @Eibar | BeIn Play |
| Saturday | 9:30 AM | Kwon Chang Hoon | Freiburg | Union Berlin | Fox Match Pass |
| Saturday | 12:30 PM | Son Heung Min | Tottenham | @Burnley | NBCSN |
| Sunday | 10:00 AM | Hwang Ui Jo | Bordeaux | @St Etienne | BeIn Play |
| Sunday | 12:00 PM | Yun Il Lok | Montpellier | @Rennes | BeIn Play |
| Sunday | 1:00 PM | Ji Dong Won | Mainz | Dusseldorf | Fox Sports 2 |
Lee Kang In-- Left out of squad. Hopefully he gets more of a chance in CL midweek where Valencia may be throwing in the towel being down 1-4 in aggregate, but at this point, not assuming anything.
Ki Sung Yueng-- No news, outside the manager saying it was a low financial risk gamble but somewhat of an unknown so we'll see if he makes the bench or his debut. Hard to baseline expectations here.
Kwon Chang Hoon-- He wasn't mentioned in press conference, so not sure if that's good news or bad. I imagine he'd be on bench if fit. UPDATE - KCH is out still with injury.
Hwang Ui Jo-- I'd expect him to start but maybe Sousa changes things up a bit.
Yun Il Lok-- I doubt a major change after a big win last week, but should be on the bench and hopefully more than that.
Ji Dong Won-- Will he make his debut? No positive signs at all but at least he's made the bench last week.
Son Heung Min-- Out injured.
Lee Chung Yong
A European career that started so well, between club and region POTY awards, a strong cup run and a good showing in the World Cup, was not only a reflection on the caliber of player that LCY was but also a signal that Korean footballers could now play with flair and technical ability. In a league that values strength, LCY had enough skill to overcome his lack of physicality and thrive. His success opened many people's eyes to the fact that a new generation of Korean footballers had arrived.
And while we all know how badly things turned with the broken leg, many may have missed the fact that after a struggle to find himself post injury, he eventually excelled again at Bolton, being a bit under the radar in the Championship. While his time at Crystal Palace was awful, it's worth remembering the effort and quality it took to earn a move back to the top tier despite playing in a league where slight players like him usually fail. Ironically, his value to Crystal Palace's sporting director, who had managed LCY previously, prevented him from returning to Bolton on loan which might have given his English career a boost.
More recently, it must have been humbling to drop down to the BL2 in an attempt to revive his European career, even when I'm sure he had more lucrative options in the AFC. But as he had throughout his career, he buckled down that first season and had a strong season. It remains unclear how much injury impacted his slow start this season or a desire to go home kept him from playing his best, but I'm sure that he'll go back to success in the K-league.
For a long period, LCY was my favorite player to watch and as a result it was incredibly frustrating to see injury and circumstance prevent him from reaching the heights he might have seen. But don't let the negatives diminish the incredible highs. Similarly, do not forget that the effort it took to carve out over a decade in Europe despite very difficult circumstances and bad luck.
