They Lost 1-4, Yet Standalone Stories on Lee Kang-in Poured In... Spanish Media's Bold Praise: "Korean Soccer's Only Positive"

[Financial News] South Korean soccer collapsed at home after conceding four goals. Yet Spanish media focused its attention on just one player: Lee Kang-in (25, Atlético Madrid).
The South Korea national football team, led by Robert Moreno, suffered a 1-4 defeat to Uruguay in a friendly at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 28th. It was Moreno's side's first loss since he took charge.
It was a nightmare from the start. South Korea conceded the opening goal to Darwin Núñez in the 13th minute and then allowed Giorgian de Arrascaeta to score in the 27th. Kim Min-jae's own goal in the 43rd minute left South Korea trailing 0-3 at halftime. Núñez headed in another goal in the 17th minute of the second half, stretching the score to 0-4.

The result had effectively been decided early in the humiliating match. But Lee Kang-in, deployed as a right winger, refused to give up.
In the 34th minute of the second half, with South Korea trailing 0-4, Lee Kang-in delivered a sharp left-footed cross from the right that found Son Heung-min, who had surged into the box, for a goal. It was South Korea's only goal of the match and the assist that set up Son Heung-min's 58th international goal. Five minutes later, Lee unleashed a dangerous direct left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area, but the opposing goalkeeper made a fine save.
After the match, Spanish outlets reported on South Korea's heavy defeat while unusually separating Lee Kang-in's performance for special attention.
The leading Spanish sports daily AS offered a blunt assessment: "The returning Atlético player was Moreno's side's only positive element." Another prominent outlet, Mundo Deportivo, published a standalone article with Lee Kang-in's name in the headline. The outlet praised him, saying, "Lee Kang-in tried everything and even recorded an assist," and, "Even with South Korea trailing 0-4, Lee Kang-in kept trying to score while carrying the team on his back."

AS also highlighted Lee Kang-in's influence off the field in a separate article. The outlet wrote, "Lee Kang-in has established the Atlético brand in South Korea," adding, "Many fans wearing Atlético jerseys stood out in the stands at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Lee Kang-in is a media and social-media icon in South Korea." It spoke highly of the impact of Atlético Madrid's signing.
The Uruguay match left South Korean soccer with a 1-4 wound it would rather erase. Yet even amid that humiliating home disaster, Lee Kang-in refused to give up and "tried everything," earning praise from the Spanish media and proving his value as an ace.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter