Minimizing Yoo Kang-hyeon’s gap is Chungnam-Asan’s biggest task. It will have a big impact on season performance.
Yoo Kang-hyun joined Pohang Steelers with 안전놀이터 high expectations, but he failed to make a big impression, and it was the same at Daegu FC. He advanced to the Czech League, but did not play many games. He returned by joining Gyeongnam FC, but showed little. He came to Chungnam-Asan in 2022 through a test, and as his abilities were maximized under the guidance of coach Park Dong-hyuk, he rose to the ranks of the best strikers in the K-League 2.
He excelled at making shots from any position. When Song Seung-min attracted the attention of the defense, the pattern of Yoo Kang-hyun receiving and finishing continued. Utilizing Yoo Kang-hyeon, Chungnam-Asan secured a point. Yoo Kang-hyun scored 19 goals in the K-League 2 alone, and the total team score in Chungnam-Asan was 39 goals. More than half of the points were scored by Yoo Kang-hyun. Yoo Kang-hyun became the top scorer and took the season’s best eleven, marking the brightest moment in his career.
His contract was for two years. Chungnam Asan tried hard to capture Yoo Kang-hyeon, who failed to enlist as Kim Cheon, but he went to Daejeon Hana Citizen, who paid the transfer fee. With Yoo Kang-hyun missing, attention was focused on how Chungnam Asan would prepare for the 2023 season. Director Park Dong-hyuk talked about the blueprint at the 2023 K-League Battery Training Media Camp held at the Barev Hotel in Seogwipo on the 26th.
Director Park Dong-hyuk said, “The absence of Yoo Kang-hyun is the team’s biggest concern. First, we brought in Lee Chang-hoon and Park Dae-hoon, who played in K3 and K4. Even though it was a non-professional stage, they clearly proved their scoring ability. After Duarte, I plan to bring in another foreigner. It was encouraging that veteran striker Song Seung-min remained.”
“I pursued aggressive football from last year and am in the process of preparing well this year. Yoo Kang-hyun was missing, but outsiders came. If we score well in the early stages, I think we will become a sufficiently competitive team like last season. Our goal is the playoffs. I think that if you fill in the gap of Yoo Kang-hyun well, you can achieve it.” As can be seen from the above mentioned, in order for Chungnam Asan to perform well, filling in the absence of Yoo Kang-hyeon should be a priority.
How would you rate the new strikers? Park Se-jik said, “It’s really sad that Yoo Kang-hyun left, but I think it’s fortunate that the new players have good skills. Lee Chang-hoon, Park Dae-hoon, and Jung Sung-ho joined as strikers, and they are all great. Of course, they all have different playstyles from Yoo Kang-hyun. The movement and mindset he is trying to make is no less than that of Yoo Kang-hyun. It is not lacking even compared to Yoo Kang-hyun.”
On the other hand, the confidence of the players seemed clear. Lee Chang-hoon said, “I will score more than 10 goals. I will receive good energy from the place where Kang-Hyun Yoo left,” and Duarte expressed his aspiration, “I will accumulate more than 15 attack points and help the team.”