Soccer team goalkeeper Song Beom-geun (25), who was named in the final entry for the Qatar World Cup, will leave Jeonbuk Hyundai and move to Japan’s J-League Shonan Bellmare. In addition, Korean goalkeepers recognized for their skills in each age group, such as Yang Han-bin (31), Gu Sung-yoon (28), and Park Eui-jeong (18), are receiving intensive love calls from Japanese J-League clubs.
Song Bum-geun is the biggest Korean goalkeeper who crossed over to the J-League this winter. Shonan Bellmare announced on the club website on the 18th, “We have completely recruited Jeonbuk goalkeeper Song Bum-keun.” Song Beom-geun is a member of the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games Gold Medalist, and a member of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Quarterfinals. A match played in one game.
Shonan is a team where Japanese soccer legend Hidetoshi Nakata made his professional debut, and was promoted to J1 (first division) in 2018. Last season, they were ranked 12th out of 18 teams. Song Beom-geun said, “I am happy to move to Shonan, which has a tradition and history.”
Gu Sung-yoon, who competed for the final entry in the Qatar World Cup with Song Bum-keun, will return to his former team, Consadole Sapporo. He played a big role in Sapporo, then came to the K-League for his military enlistment and played an active role in the Daegu FC uniform. When he was in Sapporo, Koo Seong-yoon drew attention as a top-notch player in terms of his performance, teamwork, and fan-friendliness.
Yang Han-bin, who has been loved as a guardian deity for several seasons at FC Seoul, is also receiving a lot of attention from the Japanese J-League. On the 16th, Japanese media Sports Hochi reported that “Cerezo Osaka is in the final stage of negotiations to recruit Yang Han-bin,” and the possibility of Yang Han-bin advancing to the J-League became known.
Cerezo Osaka is a team that has long built a defensive line centered on veteran Korean goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyun. The fact that Cerezo, which recently renewed its contract with Kim Jin-hyun, is showing interest in Yang Han-bin can be interpreted as an idea with ‘post Kim Jin-hyun’ in mind.
The 18-year-old prospect also decided to go to Japan. Starting with the under-15 (U-18) national team and continuing to grow steadily from the under-18 (U-18) national team, Hanyang Technical High School goalkeeper Park Eui-jung will join Japan’s prestigious Kashima Antlers. Early next month, he signed an official contract with Kashima and plans to challenge himself on the professional stage.
Park Eui-jung is a promising player with excellent physique (height 1m92cm), and has excellent agility and judgment. The ability to participate in the build-up, which is noted as a goalkeeper’s core competency in the J-League, is also of a high level. Regarding Park Eui-jung’s trip to Japan, a player official said, “Kashima has two goalkeeper coaches in the squad, so it is a team that can provide a high-quality training environment for young prospective goalkeepers continuously.” The proposal made it possible to advance into Japan,” he explained. 토토사이트
There are two main reasons why the J-League prefers Korean goalkeepers. First of all, he has a physique condition and quickness that are rare in Japan. Unlike Japanese keepers, who usually give the best performance in mid-to-late 1m80cm physique conditions, Korean goalkeepers show a high level of defense even with a physique of 1m90cm or more. This is a similar reason why the J-League was eager to recruit Korean strikers in the 1990s.
The positive personality and affinity unique to Koreans are also the reasons why the preference for Korean goalkeepers has increased. As a goalkeeper is a special position where only one player plays, it is important to work well with fellow defenders. Korean goalkeepers who have advanced to the J-League have quickly blended into the team atmosphere with their unique positive personalities.
In this regard, an official who is familiar with the Japanese soccer situation said, “Korean goalkeepers not only have excellent physiques and athletic abilities, but also have extraordinary adaptability. There is a perception that ‘a card with a high probability of success when recruited’, so many J-League clubs take an early look at a promising goalkeeper in Korea,” he explained.