Korea’s U-16 team vows to win in U-17 World Cup

It is highly disappointing, but we are glad that we found new players to lead us going forward.

Korea’s under-16 (U-16) soccer team was overtaken 1-2 by North Korea in the finals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) championship and ended second. Choi Jae-young hit a header in the 34th minute to score the first goal of the game, but North Korea’s Han Kwang-song and Choe Song-hyok scored, in the seventh and 23rd minutes of the second half. Despite the disappointment, Korea’s Lee Seung-woo won the MVP of the event and the prize for top scorer (5 goals, 4 assists).

Lee in particular scored in each match excluding the first match of the event league games, spearheading Korea’s entry into the finals. In particular, his goal in the quarterfinals with Japan was the top goal scene in the event. He dribbled solo for some 60 meter before scoring the goal. This goal has clearly impressed his name into the minds of the fans.

Lee expressed his disappointment of the finals and vowed to win at the U-17 World Cup in 2015. He said winning was possible if during the remaining year the team supplemented its shortcomings.

Nicknamed the Korean Messi, he is an up-and-comer in Spain as well. He has been a main player for three years in the highly competitive FC Barcelona Juvenil A. The Spain media believes he is a talent that will lead FC Barcelona in five years. Lee said however that he needs to improve, saying, "It is a great honor to be dubbed the Korean Messi, but going forward I want to be the `First Lee Seung-woo.`" He said he would repay the praise by developing into a better athlete.

Ahead of the quarterfinals with Japan, Lee Seung-woo said the Korean team could win against Japan, which triggered criticism that said he was lacking in humility. Choi Jin-cheul, the manager of the team, defended him, saying that it was more an expression of confidence than lack of manners. A Korean team official said Lee may be direct in expressing his opinions, but he never says or does anything to damage teamwork.

Lee has two targets. The first is to play in the Barcelona Juvenil A for three to five years and joining the main FC Barcelona team. The other is to represent Korea in the adult soccer team. Lee said, "Playing for Korea is the dream of every Korean athlete. I would do my best whenever I was called to fill that slot." Pausing thoughtfully, he added laughing that he needed to grow more from his current height of 173 centimeters.