Weekend Schedule Mar 10

As I mentioned, on vacation for next week and a half or so, and as a result just brief snippets.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Thursday	12:45 PM	Hong Hyun Seok	LASK	@Slavia Prague	Paramount+
Thursday	2:30 PM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	Watford	Peacock
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Wolfsburg	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	@Augsburg	ESPN+
Saturday	12:30 PM	Lee Dong Jun	Hertha Berlin	@Gladbach	ESPN+
Saturday	12:30 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Man Utd	Peacock
Sunday	8:00 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	@PSG	BeIN
Sunday	10:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@Everton	Peacock
Monday	4:00 PM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	Real Madrid	ESPN+

Hong Hyun Seok-- Just putting on as a rare chance to see if he plays. Has been in and out of starting XI lately.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Started and sounded like Wolves were not in it but Hwang did play quite a bit. Should start one of these two matches but not sure which one and likely off the bench on the other if he doesn't start both.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- Keeps starting but didn't watch. Good chance of starting again but may need a goal to avoid the bench if its not too late already.


Lee Jae Sung-- No idea if there will even be a match with Mainz struggling with COVID and requesting a brief hiatus.


Lee Dong Jun-- Started and not sure how well he did to know if he gets another go but with losses getting embarrassing and now in bottom three, would be hard to predict anyway.


Son Heung Min-- Scored a goal and a better but apparently still inconsistent match... I watched some but Tottenham were on cruise control early against a sad Everton. Should start.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Should start but apparently still has struggled even by the poor standards of Bordeaux who sit last in the table.


Lee Kang In-- Came on as a sub and with Mallorca drifting downward, is this finally the moment when he gets to start?

Weekend Preview Mar 5th and Recap Mar 1st

Personal life has been a bit busy with a home remodel starting soon so apologies if the blog is a bit briefer over next several months and even more so over next couple weeks with vacation. I will still be doing my best to watch and livetweet what I am watching but catching up on missed matches or watching with multiscreen and/or full attention might be difficult.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Leipzig	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Dong Jun	Hertha Berlin	Eintracht Frankfurt	ESPN+
Saturday	10:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	Crystal Palace	Peacock
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	Troyes	BeIN
Sunday	12:30 PM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	@Celta Vigo	ESPN+
Monday	3:00 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	Everton	USA
Off		Lee Jae Sung	Mainz		ESPN+

Jeong Woo Yeong-- Jeong looked decent in what I saw but a bit quiet on the whole.


Lee Dong Jun-- Likely a sub.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Probably back to the bench with a full week but not sure how Wolves will line up.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Should start.


Lee Kang In-- Came on as a sub and recurring themes of only replacing Kubo doesn't point to 


Son Heung Min-- I saw the first half and was underwhelmed but apparently things got a lot worse for Son in the second half who apparently played very poorly. Regardless, Son should start both in terms of Conte's need for him and lack of alternatives with Lucas only returning now.


Lee Jae Sung-- Match postponed with a COVID outbreak. They only pushed the match back a week or so and hoping that LJS and his teammates are doing well.

Midweek Preview Mar 1 and Recap Feb 23

Short turnaround sigh with midweek cup action. Didn't get to watching all of Hwang Hee Chan outing though there's a chance to watch Choi Kyoung Rok who's fresh off a goal on the weekend Wednesday in the cup on ESPN3.


Tuesday

Son Heung Min -- Tottenham go to Middlesbrough for FA Cup at 2:55 PM on ESPN+ - Much better from Son though still feels quite far from his best though much due to the lack of need with Tottenham getting ahead early. Against Bielsa's go for broke approach, Son often got behind Leeds' back line but his direct impact didn't result in fruition until he scored before being subbed off. Its a lot of minutes but a tough opponent, no match until Monday and Tottenham's last chance for hardware so Son should start.


Wednesday

Lee Kang In -- Mallorca hosts Real Sociedad at 3PM on ESPN+ - Lee Kang In again was only subbed on late with Kubo playing well and Garcia's reluctance to have both of them on at the same time barring desperate need. Starting off on the left, he didn't really create much though he moved more centrally and was able to at least help in the buildup even if his defensive work was poor. At some point I would think that Garcia has to start Lee Kang In and off two losses and a short week, perhaps this is the time but not convinced given lack of minutes lately.

Jeong Woo Yeong -- Freiburg travel to Bochum for DFB Pokal at 2:45 PM on ESPN3 - Jeong started and was a good showing playing more as a 10 rather than a second forward. In this role, his recent problems with the final ball were de-emphasized while his work and speed provided an outlet in the transition. And despite said problems, Jeong had a near assist with a great pass to setup a chance that led to a PK. Jeong did slow down a bit in the second half though the biggest downside was how well the subs played making future starts a bit more questionable. Decent chance of starting though rest for the weekend is also possible.

Recap

Hwang Hee Chan -- As mentioned, I only saw some but HHC's largest contributions were in the middle in a fairly quiet showing. Apparently had a great chance to score but didn't take it.


Lee Dong Jun -- Came on as a sub and though I was watching the match, didn't see a chance for him to score and soon it was all Freiburg.


Lee Jae Sung -- Started and was decent though far from great. LJS was strongest around the halfway line, providing a decent target both in terms of positioning and his touches under pressure to keep the attack going. Mainz were not playing that fluidly and as a result LJS was somewhat limited outside a few decent runs.


Hwang Ui Jo -- Started in a loss and didn't sound like he played well.

Week Preview Feb 23

The long weekend got away from me so literally have watched zero minutes from the weekend. Apologies but there's a lot of action this week.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Wednesday	2:30 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Burnley	Peacock
Thursday	2:45 PM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@Arsenal	Peacock
Thursday	3:00 PM	Kim Min Jae	Fenerbahce	@Slavia Prague	Paramount+
Saturday	7:30 AM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Leeds	USA
Saturday	8:00 AM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	Valencia	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Hertha Berlin	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Dong Jun	Hertha Berlin	@Freiburg	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	@Union Berlin	ESPN+
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	@Clermont	BeIN Xtra
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@West Ham	USA

Son Heung Min-- Had a couple assists and reportedly played well in a huge upset of Man City which gives Tottenham a needed jolt. Should start both matches but given short turnaround, Conte may be hoping to take him off early if Tottenham can get something going.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Came on as a sub and perhaps a better chance to start vs. Arsenal if they rotate the attack at all, and if not, should get another chance to start on the weekend.


Kim Min Jae-- Should start but was taken off early last week so not as positive as normal.


Lee Kang In-- Came on as a sub. Didn't know how well he played but maybe given a chance to start vs. his old club.


Lee Jae Sung-- As I didn't watch him or Jeong, difficult to guess if they start. If one of the two weren't, seems likely that LJS given his early sub off but may be reflective of his endurance levels at this point.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- See above and so unclear if he starts given lack of final product at this point.


Lee Dong Jun-- Missed last weekend with COVID and this weekend would be cutting things very close with no major updates yet. His role likely dependent on both his own and teammates' recovery if he's forced into greater than normal action due to large number of absences.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Should start.

Week Preview Feb 17 and Weekend Recap Feb 12

UEFA Conference League starts again so adding Kim Min Jae back on for the playoffs as a reminder for those wanting to watch.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Thursday	12:45 PM	Kim Min Jae	Fenerbahce	Maccabi Tel Aviv	Paramount+
Friday	2:30 PM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	Leverkusen	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	@Augsburg	ESPN+
Saturday	12:30 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Man City	NBC
Sunday	9:00 AM	Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes	@Rennes	BeIN
Sunday	11:05 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	Monaco	BeIN
Sunday	11:30 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	Leicester	USA
Sunday	12:30 PM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	@Real Betis	ESPN+
Sunday	1:30 PM	Lee Dong Jun	Hertha Berlin	Leipzig	ESPN+

Kim Min Jae-- Should start.


Lee Jae Sung-- Started off decently in the first half playing as an attacking winger but showed some of his limitations in final third with some questionable decision making and execution. But he ran hard and was a decent part of the Mainz press. Lee really faded in the second half before being subbed off a bit past an hour. I'm unclear if this shift was a one-off or how it plays into LJS' playing time but still leaning to starting as Mainz looked worse when he was subbed off.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- Jeong was a bit better when he had the ball providing some pace to Freiburg's attack but those touches were pretty infrequent as Freiburg struggled for possession. Had a decent shot that was saved but overall pretty low impact despite a few attempts to move him around the pitch to get him involved. Jeong was given a quite long run out at 85' and much of the problems were behind so his starting will depend on what shape Streich may use but a higher chance of bench this week.


Son Heung Min-- Son's struggles are becoming a bit more concrete now as some of the extenuating circumstances of rust are less applicable. It is very frustrating as Son was physically explosive again with good moves and finding space but would waste many opportunities with heavy or sloppy touches. Frustrating day and even a more frustrating result for Tottenham where top four looks increasingly remote. Should start this weekend.


Suk Hyun Jun-- Will drop next time until I see some positive signs.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Scored a goal and apparently played decently but Bordeaux stuck in the bottom of the table with new manager set to start this week. Should keep starting given one of few Bordeaux players performing.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Came on as a sub but didn't have to do much as Wolves had a comfortable lead but were mostly defending for the final stretch. Hopefully a bigger role this weekend though likely still from the bench.


Lee Kang In-- Came on as a sub for final ten minutes and was a large part of Mallorca salvaging a win when they looked like they had squandered a two goal cushion. It was disappointingly late and reflects the concerns that Garcia has on having both Lee KI and Kubo on at the same time. I do think that LKI could improve his work rate to alleviate these concerns; even in this brief showing, LKI had some questionable defending. But on the ball he had some great dribbles and even had a few chances to put Mallorca back in front and those qualities put Mallorca back in front momentum-wise even if he didn't score the winning goal. For now, I think LKI remains a bench player but hopefully a bigger role soon.


Lee Dong Jun-- A bit disappointing to see him only come on for final ten minutes despite Hertha being only a single goal down. Similar issues as last week with good pace but struggling on beating defenders 1-on-1. Had a shot on target but looked to be trying too hard to shoot from a tight angle when he had some teammates rushing the goal. Likely from the bench again.

Weekend Preview Feb 12 and Midweek Recap Feb 9

Hoping for more action for the new guys on the list and say Lee Dong Gyeong down in BL2.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Mainz	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Dong Jun	Hertha Berlin	@Fuerth	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	@Freiburg	ESPN+
Sunday	9:00 AM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	Wolverhampton	Peacock
Sunday	9:00 AM	Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes	@Brest	BeIN Play
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@Tottenham	Peacock
Sunday	11:05 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	@Lens	BeIN
Monday	3:00 PM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	Athletic Bilbao	ESPN+

Jeong Woo Yeong-- Without international duty and after offensive struggles last week, a decent chance of starting and almost certainly going to come on as a sub if not.


Lee Jae Sung-- Similar to Jeong except with a goal to further push his starting bid. Think he starts.


Lee Dong Jun-- Clearly Hertha needs help and last week was a vote of confidence but still seems a bit early to start though certainly possible.


Son Heung Min-- I was worried about fatigue but it was rust that continued to show for Son. Provided good spark and fight going forward but lacked the precision to consistently create danger in the box. But he stepped up twice, first forcing an own goal with a nice run and then scoring properly with a nice first touch on a good cross. Sadly Tottenham's defense showed its flaws yet again on a day when Son wasn't quite sharp enough to be a hero. Son should start again as Conte mentioned needing to gamble a bit on Son's recovery.


Suk Hyun Jun-- No idea whats going on.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Finally made the squad... and a back spasm prevented him from making a return on the pitch when the Wolves really could have used an offensive force against 10 men Arsenal. Seems too soon to return even for a minor spasm but not sure of severity.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Should start but will they announce new manager by then?


Lee Kang In-- Probably the most uncertain as Mallorca weren't great offensively last week but they did win. Leaning to a bench role but hopefully makes an appearance this week.

Midweek Preview Feb 9 and Weekend Recap Feb 4

Almost didn't check the midweek fixture list. There's a part of me that's happy when the sides get knocked out of cups as it reduces fixture congestion blogging wise.

Wednesday

Son Heung Min -- Tottenham host Southampton at 2:45 PM on USA - Son looked pretty fit as he had his pace and explosiveness but looked to show a bit of rust as some things didn't quite turn up for him directly. That said he had a hand in two goals, with the first being rewarded for his press by picking off an errant ball and later when he ran through the most of the defense and despite being a bit selfish with the ball, forced defender to clear it to Kane for a goal. Not going to read too much into a cup match but some positive signs as to what a full strength Tottenham might look like with more time under Conte's system under the belt. Good chance of starting with an extra day of rest on the weekend.

Thursday

Hwang Hee Chan -- Wolves host Arsenal at 2:45 PM on Peacock - I suspect still too soon for him.

Recap

Lee Dong Jun -- Came on as a surprise sub with about thirty minutes to go. It started off well with LDJ able to get past a defender but being unfortunate to not get a foul


Jeong Woo Yeong -- Jeong came on as an early offensive sub, first starting as a second striker/wide forward and dropping a bit back into a more central role with the addition of more strikers. He brought energy and pace but also some of his usual mistakes such as not beating first man on a cross with plenty of room and time. If his teammates had found him or been more accurate when they did, however, we might be writing a different narrative as there were chances to be found. 


Lee Jae Sung -- Came on as a sub and scored the game winner shortly after, with LJS making a smart run into the box to receive a well placed first time pass that LJS was able to confidently fire past the GK. He was rested due to all the international work, and that fatigue showed in some of his errors. LJS being able to contribute despite that fatigue, which he's struggled to do at times with this season is another positive sign in his integration into Mainz.


Lee Kang In -- An unused sub as Mallorca were clinging onto their lead in a six-point relegation battle.


Hwang Ui Jo -- As you know I generally pay for what I watch and have avoided paying exclusively for HUJ and weekends like this don't incentivize me to change my mind. Another blowout loss, this time with HUJ coming off late in the second half, now means a new manager but 


Suk Hyun Jun -- Still out. Thinking of dropping him unless there's positive steps to on-pitch minutes.

Weekend Preview Feb 4

Another international break over which makes projections difficult but at least I don't have to stress about the KNT who qualified for the World Cup after some laborious victories. We don't look a team that will go far but all it takes is a good run..

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Friday	2:30 PM	Lee Dong Jun	Hertha Berlin	Bochum	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	@Cologne	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	Hoffenheim	ESPN+
Saturday	10:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	Norwich (Cup)	ESPN+
Saturday	10:15 AM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	Cadiz	ESPN+
Saturday	3:00 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	Brighton (Cup)	ESPN+
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	@Reims	BeIN Play
Sunday	9:00 AM	Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes	Metz	BeIN Play

Lee Dong Jun-- A lot of travel right after signing with Hertha and ahead of an early kickoff will make his debut hard to predict though one might hope for an appearance late though even that feels a bit hopeful given complete lack of integration time.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- Given minutes Tuesday and travel, I suspect he will be on the bench given decent couple of offensive showings for starting XIs without him.


Lee Jae Sung-- A decent chance of starting though he had a lot of minutes with KNT.


Hwang Hee Chan-- I don't see him in training pictures so not quite so close yet.


Lee Kang In-- Started and was one of the later subs off. LKI started off well with some good dribbles and a nice chipped throughball that was scored by an offside player, but soon looked a bit off in terms of energy and synchronization with his teammates. As a result, he only had sporadic positive moments between long periods of being on the margins. And continuing concern is the reluctance to have Kubo and LKI on the pitch at the same time which could put minutes at risk. As a result, suspect a bench role with short turnaround.


Son Heung Min-- Returned to training but given a cup match, may be saved on the bench for midweek where he's likely to get some minutes either way.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Should start given extra day of rest and lack of alternatives.


Suk Hyun Jun-- I don't know whats going on with him with no news.

Midweek Preview Feb 2nd and Weekend Recap Jan 22

I've had this in my drafts for a week now. Oops. In better news, we have a new addition to the lineup with Lee Dong Jun moving to Hertha Berlin who are struggling.

Wednesday

Lee Kang In -- Mallorca go to Rayo Vallecano for quarterfinals of Copa del Rey at 2pm ET on ESPN+. Came on with thirty to go but Mallorca was not competing well and going down another goal and a man completely took anything out of the match. Decent chance to start I imagine but not sure who is gone for international duty.

Recap

Jeong Woo Yeong -- Came on as a sub and almost scored right away with an open header with a cross just a tad behind that was just over the cross bar. The rest I don't recall so I assume his play was unmemorable as Freiburg had a comfortable lead.


Lee Jae Sung -- A wasteful and disjointed first half saw Mainz lose to bottom of the table Fürth. LJS struggled to get touches with some attributable to poor positioning and work rate from him. Nonetheless there were a few good moments and helped craft some of Mainz' chances with good playmaking from wider and deeper areas.


Hwang Hee Chan -- Still out injured.


Hwang Ui Jo -- I slept in expecting another Bordeaux train wreck but Hwang Ui Jo had a superb match with a hat trick, with the second goal a particular beauty: he received the ball in isolation, made a few cuts and launched a left-footed shot from way out with an immense amount of curl to beat the GK. Bordeaux somehow managed to almost throw away the lead but HUJ's third, which would have been a pretty nice goal had he not scored one so much better, gave them a critical three points.


Suk Hyun Jun -- Pictured returning to some sort of training and rumored to be told to find a new club, Suk still with Troyes who bought a new striker so we'll see how this plays out, with Suk's military issues in Korea perhaps complicating factors.


Son Heung Min -- Still out injured.

Weekend Preview Jan 22 and Recap Jan 14-19

I generally don't miss posts accidentally but I got busy with work  and also over-checked out this past weekend. Also missed a bit on the weekend from that checking out (and turns out didn't miss much so didn't watch replays).

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Stuttgart	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	@Fuerth	ESPN+
Saturday	10:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@Brentford	Peacock
Saturday	10:15 AM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	@Villarreal	ESPN+
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	Strasbourg	BeIN Xtra
Sunday	9:00 AM	Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes	@Angers	BeIN Play
Sunday	11:30 AM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Chelsea	Peacock

Jeong Woo Yeong-- Played 45 last weekend but it was a blowout the other way so I didn't watch assuming that Freiburg didn't see much of the ball. Midweek, he only came on for twenty minutes in the cup with Freiburg having more or less won the match. On the weekend, good chance of starting due to freshness but Streich may want to reward some of the good performances midweek.


Lee Jae Sung-- LJS started both matches but the cup loss wasn't visible though it sounded like he had a few chances to score that didn't go his way. On the weekend, he looked strong with some good work particularly in the middle third but when it came to the final bit, things didn't quite click. The worst of those moments was a great chance to score but the ball was a hair behind and his shot a bit awkward, but should have been put in goal regardless. Should start this weekend I think but I couldn't see if midweek might impact that between form or fatigue.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Still a bit out but apparently doing light training.


Lee Kang In-- Came on as a sub late with Mallorca clinging onto a thin lead and had a few mistakes, potentially from a bit of rust, but also had a great shot with his weaker foot almost score and did some good work to keep the action going.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Played most of the match but apparently everything was so awful as the six goal deficit might imply so not going to take too much from it. Should start.


Suk Hyun Jun-- Not sure if injury or working through potential transfer or what but he's been out of the squad and seems unlikely to return in January.


Son Heung Min-- Still out though Conte said that he's progressing well so decent chance post international break.

Week Preview Jan 12-16 and Weekend Recap Jan 7

Cut it close knowing that Son wasn't playing midweek.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Wednesday	2:45 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	Chelsea (Cup)	ESPN+
Friday	2:30 PM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	@Dortmund	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	Bochum	ESPN+
Saturday	10:00 AM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	Espanyol (Cup)	ESPN+
Saturday	10:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	Southampton	Peacock
Sunday	7:00 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	@Rennes	BeIN
Sunday	11:05 AM	Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes	Lyon	BeIN
Sunday	11:30 AM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	Arsenal	Peacock

Son Heung Min-- No positive news as he still likely remains out until February.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- It looked to be another day of end product problems at 15' when Jeong hit the crossbar despite having nearly all of the goal to shoot at. But Jeong kept working and was rewarded at the start of the second half with a very nice headed goal. Jeong also had a number of near chances which were a result of bad luck more than his skill, with the opposition GK making some miraculous saves. The goal seemed to pick up Jeong's confidence though even then he still had a few passes that were too cute. But a strong performance to start off the year and enough to get the transfer rumor mill going despite his new contract and should start again.


Lee Jae Sung-- The rest appeared to have helped LJS as he had good energy and was one of the stronger players on a difficult day playing with 10 men against a revitalized Leipzig side. Despite suggestions that he might play in a more advanced role, LJS played as a wide central midfielder. His defending remains more scrap than stone wall (with a pretty sloppy tackle leading to a yellow), but certainly scrap was needed on the day. LJS was rewarded with a goal that looked to have put Mainz back in contention, with a nice first time pass to setup teammate who lost his moment but found LJS for a return pass, and LJS shot against the underside of the crossbar into goal. Unfortunately, Leipzig rebounded with two goals shortly after and all the drama from the match was gone. Should start again this weekend.


Lee Kang In-- In case you missed the update, LKI reportedly tested positive with no update on his return as of yet. Hard to project given circumstances.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Remains out injured.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Apparently had a rough day in a loss with a lot of discord in the dressing room as well. A messy situation though he should start and hoping for a move or some improvement in team around him.


Suk Hyun Jun-- An unused sub as transfer rumors start to pick up with a loan to Paris FC suggested who are a couple points from top of Ligue 2 table. Likely similar this weekend unless he moves.

Weekend Recap Jan 7 and Midweek Recap Jan 5

For the German players coming back, can be hard to forecast after lengthy hiatus and it's similarly challenging given cup action across the remainder not to mention COVID outbreaks.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Friday	3:00 PM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	Marseille	BeIN
Saturday	8:00 AM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	@Levante	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Arminia Bielefeld	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	@Leipzig	ESPN+
Sunday	9:00 AM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	Morecambe (Cup)	ESPN+
Sunday	9:00 AM	Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes	@Montpellier	BeIN
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	Sheffield Utd (Cup)	ESPN+

Hwang Ui Jo-- Should start. Hopefully a stronger side.


Lee Kang In-- Was left out of midweek cup squad for rest I assume so should start. UPDATE: LKI apparently tested positive and is out for the weekend.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- With his new extension over the winter break, strong chance for Jeong to start.


Lee Jae Sung-- I think that given upward trajectory until he ran out of gas late that he should start.


Son Heung Min-- An unpleasant day that was more about Chelsea dominating possession with their pressing more so than Tottenham's attacking approach as in prior weeks. Adding Ndombele helped a bit but the damage had been done and Son was soon taken off, though it felt a bit premature to throw in the towel on the match IMO. I expect Son to be rested here ahead of second leg of cup next week, but with the subbing off, a chance that Son starts. UPDATE: Son out with an injury until February and seems on course to miss WCQ.


Suk Hyun Jun-- I'm assuming will continue backup forward role unless they get someone in winter window but with a new manager, we'll see if there are other changes.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Still out injured.

Midweek Preview Jan 5 and Weekend Recap Jan 2

 Nearing the return of the full schedule so enjoying the shorter responsibility list while I got it.

Wednesday

Son Heung Min - Tottenham go to Chelsea for 1st leg of League Cup Semis at 2:45 PM on ESPN+ - Continuing story of Son being fairly marginal due to tactical setup, with the wingbacks being responsible for most of the "playmaking", with very poor quality of crosses and decision-making from them. Son struggled when he did have the ball as he does often with KNT with a packed box and little room for his shooting. But he still showed his class at times, almost scoring a goal on a first time volley and of course when he served up the winner with a tight angle free kick curling hard right for Davinson Sanchez to head in. Given that its FA Cup weekend, pretty strong chance of Son starting given chance for hardware against Conte's former club.

Lee Kang In - Mallorca go to Eibar for Copa del Rey at 10 AM on ESPN+ - Lee Kang In struggled vs Barcelona with a mix of poor decisions and sloppy first touches negating much of his usual positives with the ball. At times in the second half, LKI dropped quite deep to help defend which wasn't all that helpful given his defensive shortcomings. Not a great display but given circumstances, not too surprising. LKI was not in traveling squad midweek where I assume he's rested for league but given newness as of posting time, not sure if other factors at play.

Recap

Hwang Ui Jo - With a young squad due to lack of available first teamers due to COVID, HUJ played 90 in an expected loss. Would have been hard to judge even if I had watched given caliber of team. 

Weekend Preview Jan 1 and Midweek Recap Dec 28

Happy New Year everyone! 

Seasons look to restart on the continent though information is a bit hazy between reporters on vacation and news of some Omicron outbreaks in the squads.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Saturday	10:00 AM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Watford	USA
Sunday	7:45 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	@Brest (Cup)	BeIN
Sunday	3:00 PM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	Barcelona	ESPN+
Monday	12:30 PM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@Man Utd	USA
Off		Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes
Winter Break		Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg
Winter Break		Lee Jae Sung	Mainz

Son Heung Min-- While the prior match revolved around the offense flowing through the opposite side, this time it was due to a problematic midfield that struggled to get the ball forward until Southampton went down to 10 men... due to Son earning a PK running onto a through ball and a defender clumsily taking him down. After that, it was a problem of Son being not an effective enough playmaker and conversely, not being the type of player to breakdown 10 men in the box which made it a fairly frustrating day for Son. Should start and will hope for better this weekend.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Not much news coming out of winter break so for now will assume he starts.


Lee Kang In-- Same as HUJ, I will assume he starts but not much clarity on whats going on yet.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Out with hamstring injury until February says the club. Pretty disappointing.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- Just posting on here in case you don't follow my Twitter as he signed an extension with the club which is good news.

Midweek Preview Dec 28 and Weekend Recap Dec 26

 Rather brief again with yet another match postponed for Wolves and Hwang Hee Chan

Tuesday

Son Heung Min - Tottenham face Southampton at 9AM on NBCSN - Son had a decent chance in the start to open the scoring but was pretty quiet though that was due to the match flowing on the other side of the pitch more so than Son not playing well. His touches were ok and he took advantage of the best chance that came in late in the match when Son first timed from a tight angle to seal the match and buy himself a few minutes of rest. Good to see him contribute when he had less control of Tottenham's attack. Should start.

Weekend Preview Dec 26

 Going to be super brief ahead of Christmas except to wish y'all a happy holidays and to give a preview of the one Boxing Day match with Hwang Hee Chan's Wolves postponed.

Sunday

Son Heung Min - Tottenham host Crystal Palace at 10AM on USA. Son came on as a sub midweek and had a great chance to score but his first touch was very heavy ruining the moment. Tried hard, was ok by his standards, but with a disjointed cup squad and Tottenham defending a lead, didn't do much beyond. Should start this weekend if the match goes through.

Midweek Preview Dec 22 and Weekend Recap Dec 18

Winter break has hit for almost half this list so my job gets somewhat easier, unfortunately even more so with Hwang Hee Chan's injury.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Wednesday	2:45 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	West Ham (Cup)	ESPN+
Wednesday	3:00 PM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	Lille	BeIN Play
Wednesday	3:00 PM	Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes	Brest	None
Off		Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton
Winter Break		Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg		ESPN+
Winter Break		Lee Jae Sung	Mainz		ESPN+
Winter Break		Lee Kang In	Mallorca		ESPN+

Son Heung Min-- I wasn't fully attentive for the start of the match, but it was good to see Tottenham get off to a strong start, albeit against a Liverpool without VVD, and Son have some good passes and get another goal. Even if the ultimate shot was uneventful, the goal rewarded hard work as he pressed Allison into a mis-clearance and had an open goal to shoot into. Apparently he had a chance to score earlier in a possibly offside situation, but he looked fast most of the match and had teammates finished better or had the ability for better balls over the top, Son might have had a super day. As it was, despite club-wide COVID breakout, a draw vs. a good opponent and showing offensive life are reasonable positives. As for midweek, we are entering crazy part of the fixture list with thin backups so my gut says that he should be on the bench after seeing him tire at the end of the match but there may not be an alternative.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Hwang Ui Jo was rested along with a couple other players against an opponent that was easily handled by a ten goal margin. Should start midweek.


Suk Hyun Jun-- Started and played the whole match and earned a PK, was on the receiving end of a red card foul, and missed his penalty in the shootout. Pretty wide range of experiences that likely leave him on the bench.


Hwang Hee Chan-- While Hwang's injury timetable remains unclear, he posted a picture of himself with recovery devices on his thighs. So it appears unrelated to the ankle turn he suffered earlier in the match but hamstring strains are fairly unpredictable injuries without knowing severity. 


Jeong Woo Yeong-- Busy working and earned a PK when he volleyed a cross into a defenders arm, but moments of brilliance were lacking though he started and wasn't subbed off until late in the match when Freiburg scored to somehow be third in the table at the winter break. Clearly Streich values Jeong's work ethic and adding something different to Freiburg's attack, and hopefully Jeong can find a way to impact matches more directly.


Lee Jae Sung-- It never quite got going for Lee Jae Sung who showed a bit of fatigue from the short rest as he didn't quite have the energy to cover the whole pitch as usual and his passes were all a bit off. It wasn't all bad but also not a surprise to see him subbed off. A bit of a disappointment to end the first half of the season, but a pretty good one overall as he's shown his class at the top tier after a bit of a stop-and-start to his life at Mainz.


Lee Kang In-- Another disappointing end where first LKI and Kubo never quite got on the same page more than a couple moments, despite LKI toggling between left wing and CAM to try to find a winning shape. And then LKI had an awful moment losing the ball in his own half as he started the transition, resulting in an opposition goal. While things improved somewhat after that, it wasn't as good as his strong showings have been.

Preview Dec 18 and Recap Dec 14

Final matchday for the Bundesliga but front and center is COVID again as the Premier League postpones more fixtures. Hopefully the recoveries are quick and cases stabilize enough to continue the season safely.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Saturday	7:45 AM	Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes	Nancy (Cup)	TBD (BeIN?)
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	@Eintracht Frankfurt	ESPN+
Sunday	8:00 AM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	Granada	ESPN+
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	Chelsea	USA
Sunday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Leverkusen	ESPN+
Sunday	11:30 AM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	Liverpool	Peacock
Sunday	12:20 PM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	Jumeaux de M'Zoisa (Cup)	TBD (BeIN?)

Suk Hyun Jun-- Likely on the bench.


Lee Jae Sung-- A goal and a ton of energy brought a return to form midweek for LJS. While the goal itself was fairly straightforward one, heading in a ball sent back across the face of goal from a yard out, LJS was frequently the key to the transition and adding additional pressure in the box with smart off the ball runs. LJS started to fade a bit in the second half and the match got a bit choppy so was subbed off fairly early likely to rest ahead of final match of the "Hinrunde."


Lee Kang In-- Came on late but it seems Mallorca was in control after a slow first half. Should start this weekend.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Started off with some high energy as he looked to re-establish himself as a starter but he fell awkwardly. While he did return to action, he pulled himself off a few minutes later. It doesn't look very serious but also significant enough that he's likely out this weekend and maybe much of the holiday period.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- Started and looked pretty decent at it but again, Jeong struggled for the final touch that would unlock a stubborn defense. He almost got a chance but the GK beat him to a throughball by the slimmest of margins. He was subbed off with 20 or so to go. Normally would be ok if he were excelling more regularly, but he's not quite fully part of this offense right now beyond energy and pace and I suspect he'll be on the bench this weekend.


Son Heung Min-- Postponed again midweek, so no transparency on his status or what will happen this weekend. No forecast here.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Should start, between his good form post-injury and the complete lack of alternatives.

Preview Dec 14 and Recap Dec 9

Nearing winter break for some, and the hectic parts of the season for others.

I've removed the Bundesliga 2 players from the list as it seems ESPN has given up on showing all but a smattering of BL2 matches from streaming. If things change on that front, I'll add them back. But it does feel disingenuous to provide commentary on players that I can't see with my eyes. I'll still be re-posting relevant news on the players on the main Twitter feed so I'm not abandoning them to my secondary feed in that service.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Tuesday	2:30 PM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	Hertha Berlin	ESPN+
Wednesday	2:30 PM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	@Union Berlin	ESPN+
Wednesday	2:30 PM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@Brighton	Peacock
Thursday	1:00 PM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	@Llanera (Cup)	None
Thursday	2:30 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Leicester	Peacock
Off		Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux
Off		Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes

Lee Jae Sung-- Hard for me to judge as ESPN feed had a lot of issues and the replay isn't available due to that. In what I saw, it looked just not to be his day with a lot of good ideas ruined by execution that was slightly off. Maybe a hard adjustment up to the quality of Bayern and a bit difficult to judge given the more limited opportunities Mainz had going forward. Suspect that he'll start.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- Came off the bench but Hoffenheim were in control of play and Jeong didn't get to do much. With short turnaround, maybe a more decent chance to start but I think he'll have to show more as a sub right now.


Hwang Hee Chan-- With Jimenez out, Lage will have to rejigger his front line, and one would suspect that a strong probability is putting Hwang Hee Chan back into the starting XI. On the weekend, it was difficult vs. Man City for obvious reasons when he came on for Traore as Lage opted for a more defensive setup. Hwang had a few decent runs and fought hard but hard to take away too many conclusions on such isolated moments.


Lee Kang In-- The first half was very choppy with heavy wind causing problems with the opposition GK struggling to even punt the ball. As a result, LKI was fairly limited then but really started to take control in the second half, really helping Mallorca transition into attack and creating some danger of his own both directly and via set pieces. On the one hand LKI is showing greater strength to hold up against defenders this season but on the other, he's still spending a bit too long on the ball. Given a cup match, I think he gets rested.


Son Heung Min-- A decent chance of a match but not clear which players are available. Should start if fit and healthy.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Its really hard to judge Hwang Ui Jo in this side given the intense mediocrity of the side but HUJ continues to give Bordeaux a chance at survival with goals, and did so again this weekend heading a beautiful cross into the goal. Some of Bordeaux' problems are HUJ problems: he's not scaring defenders with pace, beating them with the dribble, or facilitating the rest of the Bordeaux attack with quality hold up play. But effort and goals are worth a lot in a relegation scrap and to score on very few opportunities has pushed Bordeaux out of the relegation zone for now.


Suk Hyun Jun-- Came on as a sub and while he provided some physicality up front, his lack of explosiveness in terms of pace or aerial leap can be limiting though Troyes in general wasn't playing well. Hopefully gets going in final stretch as its been a tough fall.

Preview Dec 9 and Weekend Recap Dec 4

Midweek action again but I think I caught up on what matches I subscribe to. Maybe I get to watch some Ligue 1 if antenna forces are in my favor / if I'm awake.

UPDATE: Tottenham match called off with the COVID outbreak. UPDATE 2: Make that both Tottenham matches

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Thursday	12:45 PM	Kim Min Jae	Fenerbahce	Eintracht Frankfurt	Paramount+
Thursday	12:45 PM	Hong Hyun Seok	LASK	HJK Helsinki	Paramount+
Thursday	3:00 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	Rennes	Paramount+
Friday	3:00 PM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	Celta Vigo	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Hoffenheim	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	@Bayern Munich	ESPN+
Sunday	7:30 AM	Seo Jong Min	Dynamo Dresden	@Aue	None
Sunday	7:30 AM	Choi Kyoung Rok	Karlsruher	Heidenheim	None
Sunday	7:30 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@Man City	NBCSN
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	@Troyes	BeIN Xtra
Sunday	9:00 AM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Brighton	NBCSN
Sunday	9:00 AM	Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes	Bordeaux	BeIN Xtra

Kim Min Jae-- Fenerbahce can't progress so maybe he'll get a rest but I think he'll start with UECL still in play.


Hong Hyun Seok-- Been a bit inconsistent in terms of lineup so hard to guess if he starts but should play one way or another. A draw would get them through to knockouts.


Son Heung Min-- A COVID outbreak has hit Tottenham's side. It remains to be seen who is unavailable for tomorrow or the weekend. They'll need warm bodies tomorrow unless Conte ouright sacrifices UECL. There's a stronger possibility of postponing weekend match but if it doesn't and Son is healthy he should start that match. EDIT: I forgot to include a recap. Son again was dominant with the ball, though he didn't get his goal until pretty late and his assist was nominal, with Lucas unreeling a remarkable sequence. But Son had some great set pieces, showed great pace and touch and looks to be at his best heading into an important stretch.


Lee Kang In-- A difficult match vs. a strong opponent but still LKI still showed his skills, particularly with two shots in a span of a couple minutes that could have been goals on a luckier day. On the other hand, LKI did give up the ball a few too many times under pressure in dangerous spots. A player with a bigger name may get more fouls on some of those but he should be smarter as many were needless. Garcia did reiterate his reluctance to have Kubo and LKI on at the same time and you could see that play out with both on only when down and taking LKI off to preserve what was a point before a late Kubo goal gave Mallorca a huge three points. The latter doesn't look 100% yet so I think LKI starts again.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- Was on the bench and Freiburg destroyed Gladbach so intensely that I didn't watch when he did come on with 20 to go due to the 6 goal lead. Given the large amount of offense, I don't expect a change to the starting XI unless forced by injury though Jeong should come on later.


Lee Jae Sung-- LJS earned plaudits from the commentators on the world feed and also German press after a strong showing that finally felt like the LJS from Kiel last season. LJS was everywhere, defending deep, creating in the final third and controlling possession everywhere in between. He had a hand in both goals, though his credit for assist was far simpler, taking a short corner and finding the open man at the top of the box. On the first goal, though, LJS was able to create space in traffic, draw in defenders and find a teammate. While he was subbed off eventually, he was going full throttle the entire match and his interceptions in the middle were vital in keeping Mainz in control. Should start again.


Seo Jong Min-- An unused sub so likely more of the same.


Choi Kyoung Rok-- Got two yellows so will likely miss this weekend.


Hwang Hee Chan-- As Traore starts re-earning a bigger role, Hwang is the biggest loser as a lot of the action happens on the other side of the pitch. Hwang is continuing to create good moments when he has the ball, but that seems to be happening less every week and it wasn't a surprise to see him subbed off first. Still likely to start but perhaps some of the other attackers gets a chance this weekend.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Apparently continues to be a tough slog for Bordeaux offense but picked up an assist though reportedly missed some decent chances to score.


Suk Hyun Jun-- Suk came on with 15 minutes left but Troyes lost late. Continuous to be a highly used offensive sub.