Kim Joo-sung (23-FC Seoul) is one of the fastest rising defenders in the K League 1. He joined Seoul from Osanjung-Go and went through an elite program, making his professional debut in 2019. He steadily improved, joining Gimcheon Commerce in 2021 before returning to Seoul at the age of 22 with the ‘Goonpil’ title.
This season has been even more special for him. For the first time since his debut, he is starting in the first half of the season. This is not an easy feat at such a young age, even considering his specialty as a center back. From former coach Ahn Ik-soo to current acting coach Kim Jin-gyu, Kim Joo-sung is still being used. With his ability to defend in person and the rarity of being a left-footed center back, he is now an indispensable resource in the Seoul defense.토스카지노
It hasn’t been all roses, though. Seoul dropped to Final B (7th-12th) for the fourth consecutive year until this season, when they lost 0-2 at home to Jeonbuk Hyundai in the 33rd round of the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023, narrowly missing out on a spot in Final A (1st-6th). It was hard for the team to stay motivated as they could no longer move up regardless of their performance in the five games of the Final Round.
But Kim found motivation in his own growth. In the first match of the final round, Seoul won 2-1 against Gangwon FC. After the game, Kim said, “It’s true that my motivation is down. However, I have to play harder to grow as a person as well as the team,” he said encouragingly.
Kim’s recent success with the A team is a testament to his growth. He made his A-match debut against Hong Kong at the East Asian Cup last July and has been called up consistently since Jürgen Klinsmann (GER) took over the reins of the A team this year. Against Vietnam on Sunday, he came on as a substitute for ‘Daesebae’ Kim Min-jae (27-Bayern Munich) for his second A match.
The national team is a great learning experience for Kim. In particular, Kim “World Class” Min-jae is his best mentor. “I’m so honored to be able to train with such good players on the national team. I feel like I’m improving,” he says of Kim Min-jae, “He’s a world-class defender. I can only admire his defense and offense,” he said.
Kim Joo-sung is progressing slowly, but he is in no hurry. “Now I want to play more games for the national team,” he said, “but I need to work on my deficiencies before I can play. I still need to work harder,” he said, vowing to improve. Kim Joo-sung’s development is “ongoing” as he hopes to become the next center back for the national team.
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