Spain’s La Liga Atletico Madrid (ATM), led by head coach Diego Simeone, beat Manchester City (Man City) 2-1 in the second game of the Coupang Play Series English Premier League (EPL) at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 30th.
It was the ATM that broke the zero balance. In the 15th minute of the second half, he replaced more than half of the starters and hit the mark. In the 21st minute of the second half, Memphis Depay, who exchanged a one-two pass with Corea near the center of the box, scored coolly. In the 28th minute of the second half, Yannick Carrasco drove the ball to the vicinity of the arc with a dribble and shook the net with a right-footed shot.
Chalar Soe Win-ji, who started, also made a good move. He moved to ATM from EPL Leicester City, where he had been in the transfer market since 2018. Simeone said, “We’ve improved a lot in these two games. He’s strong defensively and has a good ball in the air. Build-up is good, too. be contented. I’m adjusting well to the team. He also expressed satisfaction, saying, “He is one of the best players in our defense.”
When asked about Son Heung-min (Tottenham), who he faced during the EPL, So Win-ji said, “He was a very good opponent both as a player and as a human being. I felt good every time I met him. “I want to praise Son Heung-min’s human side very much,” he said.
On this day, 64,185 spectators were in. The stadium was filled with soccer fever, even though 40 minutes were initially postponed from the kickoff at 8 o’clock due to local heavy rains. Cheers erupted in every movement of the players. It was a friendly match, but the match was reminiscent of the UEFA Champions League. There was a fierce war of nerves among the players.
“Korean players are very good,” said So Win-ji, who finished two consecutive games with the team K League and Manchester City. “I met Korean fans on the Korean stage like this, and I’m happy to feel the breathing and passion,” he said with a smile. kkang@sportsseoul.com