‘Bleeding to death’ Jang In-gyu: “I was in so much pain, but I thought, ‘This is not the time'”

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• on May 28, 2023

Professional soccer’s K League One “top dog” Ulsan Hyundai’s signature striker Lee Min-kyu, 33, exploded for a multi-goal performance despite being punched in the face and bloodied during the game, saving his team from suffering its second loss of the season.

Lee scored back-to-back goals in the 32nd and 43rd minutes to lead Ulsan to a dramatic 3-3 draw at home against Daejeon Hana Citizen in the 15th round of the K League 1 at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on Monday.

After taking the lead in the first 20 minutes of the match on an own goal, Ulsan conceded three goals in a row and were on the verge of losing the match again for the seventh time in seven rounds, but Lee In-gyu’s head and left foot saved the day.

In particular, his “fighting spirit” made the goal shine.

In the 29th minute of the match, Inhabigyu had a dizzying experience when he was hit hard in the face by the shoulder of opposing defender Kim Hyun-woo in a contest for an aerial ball.

After lying on the ground for a while, Inhabigyu struggled to get up and continue playing, his nose still bleeding from the impact.

However, he was not substituted in the second half and continued to play through his nose, giving Ulsan a crucial 1-0 victory.

Lee In-jong-gyu ties the game again스포츠토토
(Ulsan = Yonhap) Kim Yong-tae reports that Ulsan’s In-jong-kyu shoots to tie the score at 3-3 during the professional soccer Hana One Q K League 1 match between Ulsan Hyundai and Daejeon Hana Citizen at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on May 28. 2023.5.28 yongtae@yna.co.kr

“It hurt a lot when I first got hit, but I thought it wasn’t the right time to do it, and I played my game,” he said after the match.

“Coach (Hong Myung-bo) said at halftime, ‘Let’s not give up. We have the power to catch up and turn it around. Let’s start again,’ and the players tried to put one more foot on the field. We were really focused, desperate, desperate,” he said, adding, “I think we were able to equalize not because of my effort, but because of what the coach said.”

“It was a game that could have easily gone our way if the strikers had capitalized on their chances, but we didn’t, so it was a game to reflect on,” he said, adding, “I felt that we should try to improve.”

With his two goals on the day, Injongyu scored his eighth league goal of the season, tying him with Na Sang-ho (Seoul) for the league lead.

“When I was in Jeju, I felt that I could only win if I scored a goal or recorded an offensive point, but when I came to Ulsan, I felt like I was playing as a team. I’m spending the season thinking about how to help someone score a goal,” he said, adding, “I have a lot of talented players around me, so I feel comfortable in every game.” He credits his teammates.