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Bae Jun-ho's 2024-2025 season, the future of Korea, is going rough.
Bae Joon-ho, one of Korea's top prospects, was selected as Team Player of the Year as soon as he entered Europe in the 2023-2024 season as he played an active role in Stoke City. In June, he was called by the national team and has successfully established himself by scoring his debut goal.
Thanks to his good performance in Stoke, he showed interest in Feyenoord, a prestigious Dutch club. Several clubs in the English Premier League (EPL) were also said to be watching Bae Joon-ho's growth. If Bae Jun-ho shows better performance in the 2024-2025 season, it was not a dream to advance to the big league.
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But things are not going easily. Stoke City lost 0-2 to Leeds United in the 23rd round of the English Championship (second division) of the 2024-2025 season at BET365 Stadium in Stoke, England, at 0:00 a.m. on the 27th (Korea time). The defeat kept Stoke 19th in the league with 22 points.
Although he is 19th, Stoke has no choice but to be classified as a relegation zone. Oxford United, ranked 20th, one point lower, played one less game than Stoke. Portsmouth, ranked 22nd with 20 points, played two games less than Stoke. It is a stalk that can fall to 21st place depending on the remaining schedule of Oxford or Portsmouth.
Right now, there is only three points difference from 22nd-ranked Hull City, which is in the relegation zone. With 18 points, the gap is only four points between Cardiff City and Plymouth Argyle, which are 23rd and bottom. With the league half-way through, if the difference is this much, Stoke should also be considered a relegation risk.
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| Courtesy of the Korea Football Association |
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Even more worrisome is the recent atmosphere of Stoke. In fact, as recently as early November, Stoke was in the middle of the league. However, he has not won a single game in the last nine games, including a home draw against Millwall in the 15th round. It's four draws and five losses. If it is narrowed down to the last six games, it is the worst level in the league with one draw and five losses. If Stoke fails to provide an opportunity for a reversal through the January transfer market, Stoke will have no choice but to compete to escape the relegation zone by the end of the season.
As Stoke is difficult, Bae Joon-ho is not doing as well as he did last season. He has five pitches in 21 games, but it's a shame that he still hasn't scored yet. Since the match against Millwall, when Stoke's sluggishness began, Bae Joon-ho has no offensive points, so his performance is not clear.
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| Courtesy of the Korea Football Association |
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Bae Joon-ho is also not showing his growth as the team's situation is difficult at a time when it needs to grow. Bae Jun-ho is facing a relegation crisis two years after entering Europe. There is no guarantee that Stoke will avoid relegation unconditionally, so he should play well in the second half of the year so that he can move even if he is demoted. The English League 1 (third division) is not suitable for Bae Joon-ho.
rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
