Joo Min-gyu, striker of the national soccer team.
Ju Min-gyu (Ulsan), who scored his debut goal in his third international match, said that he is now familiar with and comfortable with the national team atmosphere.
The Korean national soccer team, led by interim coach Kim Do-hoon, won 7-0 in the fifth match of Group C of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup Asia region second qualifying round held at Singapore National Stadium on the 6th.
The players rested after returning to Korea on the 7th and trained at Goyang Sports Complex on the 8th with fans watching.
Joo Min-gyu met with reporters before the open training and said, “I endured it by scolding myself for my shortcomings when I was not selected for the national team. “I am satisfied that my family’s disappointment has now been met,” he said. 메이저사이트
Joo Min-gyu started as a frontline striker in the match against Singapore on the 6th and led the team to a complete victory with 1 goal and 3 assists.
Joo Min-gyu said, “Because I am a striker, a goal is more important than three assists. He laughed, saying, “After scoring a goal, I was able to do interviews before training like this.”
Ju Min-gyu, who was 34 years and 54 days old at the time of the Singapore match, was ranked second in the category of oldest scorer in an international match. All first-place records are held by the late Kim Yong-sik, who is considered a pioneer of Korean soccer. Kim Yong-sik scored on his international debut at the age of 39 years and 274 days in a friendly match against Hong Kong in 1950. Joo Min-gyu smiled and said, “When he heard that he was the second oldest scorer, he felt, ‘You must be old.’” He then said, “Every record like this motivates me.” Ju Min-gyu, who scored the most goals in the K-League over the past three years, was not selected by former coaches Paulo Bento and Jurgen Klinsmann. However, he belatedly wore the Taegeuk symbol after being called by coach Hwang Seon-hong, who took over the baton temporarily last March, and interim coach Kim Do-hoon in June. He then started against Thailand at the age of 33 years and 343 days, setting a record for his oldest A match debut. In response, fans showed their support to Joo Min-gyu, saying, 'A late-blooming flower is beautiful.' Joo Min-gyu said, “Thank you to the fans. I will work harder to repay the support of my fans. “I’m happy to meet fans through this open training,” he said. He continued, “I feel more at ease than last March. When he was first selected, there was a lot of tension and pressure. However, he said, “Now we can communicate well with the players and play well,” adding, “I am not thinking much about the World Cup finals yet. “I will just think and focus on the game in front of me,” he added. Joo Min-gyu, who has increased his momentum, is also waiting for the final match of the Asian region's second qualifying round group stage against China, which will be held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 11th. Joo Min-gyu said, “Thanks to the score against Singapore, I don’t have any pressure and am in good condition. He pledged, “I will increase my attack points and show a good performance in the game against China.” 슬롯사이트