Ankle of Gold + Talent + Training = A Work of Art

Possessing personal talent, speed, and scoring abilities, Park Joo-young is a soccer genius, but his picturesque kick in the game against Nigeria on June 16 was especially remarkable.

His kick can be summarized by the following equation: Ankle of Gold + Talent + Training = A Work of Art.

According to Dr. Lee Gyeong-tae (Ulji Hospital foot clinic), the doctor for the pro-football league team FC Seoul, Park’s ankle is especially healthy and flexible. That is why he can kick the ball right at the center.

Choi Yoon-gyeom, coach of Daejon Citizens, said that “Park’s kick is known not for its power but for its exactness,” and that “like in the game against Nigeria where the defense was flawless, we need the preciseness of Park to win.”

Park’s kick does not have noteworthy strength. Kim Nam-pyo of the Korean Soccer Association stated that “Joo-young’s kick is not especially noted for its power. But he has the sense for it.”

Huh Jeong-moo, coach for the Jeonnam Dragons, placed an emphasis on training. Coach Huh said that “of course Joo-young has the sense for it, but even a genius cannot score that accurately without training.”

Jae-Yun Jung jaeyuna@donga.com