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'Next-generation striker'Lee Young-joon (Grathhofer) is emerging as a new alternative to the front line of Korean soccer.
Lee Young-joon opened the scoring in the seventh round of the Swiss Super League in the 2024-2025 season against Cervet at Lechgrund in Zurich, Switzerland on the 22nd (Korea time). Lee Young-joon, who started, calmly pushed in when his shot hit the goalkeeper in the 9th minute of the second half. It was his second goal of the season. Grashofer drew 2-2 with Lee Young-joon's equalizer.
Lee Young-joon also performed impressively on the day. In addition to 6 attempts, he recorded 100% successful dribbling and 100% successful long passes. There are more prominent indicators, including three successful aerial ball contests and eight wins on the ground. Lee Young-joon, a target striker, has no choice but to continue to compete with the opposing defender in style, but figures show that he is not behind it.
Lee Young-joon received an eight-point rating from soccer statistics media SofaScore. It was the highest rating for both teams.
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Lee Young-joon's momentum is surprising. Lee Young-joon wore a grashopper uniform this summer. Lee Young-joon, a former Suwon Samsung Youth, made his professional debut at Suwon FC in 2021. Lee Young-joon, who served in the military at the Gimcheon Sangmu from 2023 to 2024, was evaluated as a `unfinished standby' with his confident build of 1m92-87kg. In the K-League, he did not leave a big mark, but he showed his power on the international stage. Following his strong performance at the U-20 World Cup last year, he also scored three goals at the U-23 Asian Cup.
Lee Young-joon came to the market after being discharged from the military. Amid love calls from overseas clubs such as Germany's Schalke 04 and Saudi RT Hard, which praised Lee Young-joon's possibility, Lee Young-joon held Grashofer's hand. He chose Grashofer, who promised steady opportunities to play, putting growth first. Following the transfer fee, the agreement between the clubs was completed as the agreement was reached on the clause 'Celon'. Sports director Stefan Schwarz of Grashofer "Lee Young-jun is a resource that fits exactly our requirements. Not only does he have a lot of potential, but he is also a young player with proven skills."
Lee Young-joon showed great performance from the first game. In a home game against Sion on the 25th of last month, he scored the first goal 42 seconds into the game. Lee Young-joon, who caught the ball at the corner of the penalty area during the development of Grashofer's attack that began with kickoff, accurately stabbed the bottom corner of the near post with a right foot shot in front of the defender. It was a score reminiscent of Barcelona's 'Special Striker' Robert Lewandowski.
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Lee Young-joon, who later started in an away game against Sport and made a soft landing, was honored to be selected as Grashofer 'August Player'. Grashofer said Lee won the first Player of the Month award with more than 30 percent of the vote, with Lee Young-joon, Morandi, Tuberth, and Mabili nominated. It was a splendid start. Lee Young-joon quickly scored his second goal, opening the era of success.
Lee Young-joon's strong performance is making A national team coach Hong Myung-bo smile. One of the concerns of national team A is the front line. While it is difficult for undecided striker Cho Kyu-sung (Mit Willan) to return for the time being due to an unexpected injury, another striker Hwang Ui-jo (Alanyaspor) is also unable to be selected as a representative due to controversy over his privacy. Joo Min-gyu (Ulsan) and Oh Se-hoon (Mancha) are coming forward, but they are not very satisfied. In particular, Joo Min-gyu is too old to watch until the World Cup finals. Amid the need to find an alternative, Lee Young-joon is performing a show of force by launching a scoring shot every day. As he is competitive on the European stage, chances are high that he will be selected in a surprise A match in October.
vanbasten@sportschosun.com
