Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Foz do Iguacu: Korea Republic striker Lee Keun-ho will be hoping his goal against Russia will earn him a starting berth in Sunday's Group H clash with Algeria on Sunday but the 2012 AFC Player of the Year would have no qualms to remain an 'impact' player against the North Africans.
Lee, who is currently on loan with Korean army club Sangju Sangmu as he completes his military service, came off the bench to score in Korea Republic's 1-1 draw with Russia in their Group H opener.
The 2012 AFC Champions League winner with Ulsan Hyundai Lee, who was also the MVP as Ulsan defeated Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli 3-0 in the final, replaced Park Chu-young in the 56th minute and 12 minutes later took possession of the ball near the halfway line, surged forward and fired the ball goalwards. It was a speculative effort and should have been comfortably dealt with by Igor Akinfeev but the 25-year-old CSKA Moscow keeper, who had fumbled a succession of shots in the second half, parried the substitute's strike over the line to gift the Koreans the lead.
And while he may have found himself down the pecking order when it comes to head coach Hong Myung-bo's attacking preferences in the starting 11, Lee isn't dwelling on the disappointment and instead he is in a constant state of alert for whenever he is called into action.
"When I am watching from the bench, I try to figure out the flow of the game and to keep my eye on opposing defenders," Lee said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency.
"The key for me is to picture myself in different situations and think about how I am going to respond to them once I am on the field."
Lee, along with current Korea captain Koo Ja-cheol, was part of the unlucky trio that didn't make the final cut for Huh Jung-moo's side at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and not surprisingly the 29-year-old is keen to make up for the missed opportunity in Brazil, however long he gets on the pitch.
"My minutes will vary depending on how a match is going. The most important thing is that I have to stay prepared mentally," continued Lee, who also spoke of his desire to make the most of his opportunity to make an impact at Brazil 2014 if given the chance.
"I missed the World Cup four years ago, so I was eager to show my ability," he said in a recent interview with fifa.com
Even though I'm not playing in Europe, I wanted to show all those watching that there are good players playing their football in Asia as well."
Photo: AFP