JEONJU -- South Korean attacker Lee Seung-woo is known for his dazzling performance on the pitch, but also for his aggressive hair style.
In the past, Lee, who plays for FC Barcelona's Juvenil A team, had his hair dyed bold colors, such as gold, light purple and even pink. For the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in his homeland, the 19-year-old featured a semi-mohawk with letters engraved on the two low shaven sides.
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(Yonhap) |
On the right, Lee has the letter "V," meaning victory, and on the left, there's "SW," which contains multiple meanings for the footballer.
One is the initials of his first name. SW also refers to "Six Wins for Suwon." If South Korea can win six matches in row, they can reach the U-20 World Cup final in the city of Suwon, some 45 kilometers south of Seoul.
And Lee is leading South Korea on the right track.
On Tuesday, Lee scored the opening goal in South Korea's 2-1 victory over Argentina at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul, sending the hosts into the round of 16 from Group A. This was after he collected a goal and an assist in the 3-0 victory over Guinea in Saturday's tournament opener at the same venue.
With two straight wins, South Korea will move on to the knockout stage regardless of their result against England in the final group match on Friday. In this 24-team competition, the top two from each of the six groups and the four best third-placed teams advance to the round of 16.
Just like his first goal of the tournament, Lee showed his caliber against Argentines, too. After dribbling past about five defenders, he fired a left-footed shot over Argentina goalkeeper Franco Petroli in the 18th minute for South Korea's opening goal.
This was Lee's seventh goal in 14 matches for the U-20 side.
His goal was so brilliant it impressed head coach Shin Tae-yong.
"I was amazed when he beat the defenders and finished it nicely," he said. "It was so beautiful and he really did a great job."
Lee is known for his quickness and dribbling skills, but Shin said he is a player who devotes himself entirely to the team. In the second half against Argentina, Lee failed to produce a goal or an assist, but consistently tested Argentines with his attacking ability. On defense, he helped out Yoon Jong-gyu on the left flank.
Lee seemed to run out of gas when he attempted a dribble in the extra minute of the second half, but contributing to his team's victory was enough for him. Lee previously said he doesn't have a personal goal for this U-20 World Cup, except to help his team go as far as they can.
Lee said he doesn't remember much about his goal against Argentina, but was pleased that his scored played a big part in South Korea reaching the knockout stage.
"I'm happy that I scored against a strong team and helped my team reach the round of 16," he said. "I also feel good that my goal gave some cushion to my team and my teammates."
Lee also thanked his teammates for defending the lead against Argentines, who fired 19 shots total, nearly triple that of South Korea.
"We didn't lose our cocentration for 95 minutes (including the stoppage time)," he said. "But we are not satisfied. We want to go further."
In his first FIFA event in 2015, the U-17 World Cup in Chile, Lee was held scoreless. But already with two goals in as many matches at the U-20 World Cup, Lee seems to be on his way to progressing from a top prospect to a future leader of South Korean football.
When asked about his performance compared to his idol and Barcelona's living legend Lionel Messi, Lee said he has a long way to go.
"I'm not in a position to be compared to Messi," he said. "I will work hard to make progress and play better." (Yonhap)
