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Korean Shines In Premier League Debut

Posted August. 21, 2006 03:06,   

한국어

The third Korean to join the first league of the English pros, Seol Ki-hyun (27, Reading FC) made his presence known by making the first assist in his Premier League debut stage. The team won 3-2 with a come-from-behind win.

Seol Ki-hyun was a starter at right wing and played throughout the 2006-2007 Premier League home game with Middlesbrough, on August 19, until he was replaced 39 minutes into the second half. Seol added life to the team’s offense by continuously breaking through the opposition’s defense with his bold dribbling and speed.

Reading was established in 1871, and the team played in the lower league until it won the Championship League (second league) and was promoted to the Premier League for the first time in 135 years. Perhaps because of such pressure, Reading made several mistakes in the beginning and missed the first goal. They allowed two goals 10 minutes and 21 minutes into the game, trailing 0-2.

The person responsible for making the pursuit possible was Seol Ki-hyun. 43 minutes into the first half, Seol passed through the defense, and from the right-hand side he passed the ball to the front of the goal net, which his team member Dave Kitson converted into a goal. Reading was on the roll and equalized just one minute later. 10 minutes into the second half, Seol once again pushed in from the right-hand side and passed the ball to the area in front of the net, which Leroy Lita kicked into the goal, giving Reading the lead.

The English Football Channel Sky Sports selected Seol Ki-hyun as one of its weekly best 11 right midfielders and gave him a player rating of 9, the highest rating out of both teams. “Premier League players are of a high level… but if I use empty space to move in, striking will be made easier,” said Seol Ki-hyun.

At an away match with Bolton Wanders, Lee Young-pyo (Age 29) of Tottenham Hotspur was a starter on defense and played until 30 minutes into the second half. The team lost 0-2 and Lee received a player rating of 6.



bluesky@donga.com