adminNational High School Football Championship Kicks Off Today
64 teams in 16 groups… Finals on Sept. 29
The 78th National High School Football Championship and the 2023 National High School Football League Wangjoong Wangjeon (co-organized by The Chosun Ilbo, the Korea Football Association, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), the most prestigious tournament in Korean high school football, will be held in Changnyeong County, Gyeongnam Province, from April 14 to 29. Sixty-four teams from each region will compete in the tournament, divided into 16 groups (four teams each) for the group stage (Nov. 14-19). The first- and second-place teams in each group will advance to the round of 32 on the 21st. The final will be played at Changnyeong Sports Park on the 29th at 3pm.
Korean soccer stars such as Hong Myung-bo (Northeast High School), Yoo Sang-cheol (Kyungshin University), and Lee Stable (Seoul Institute of Technology) have won the National High School Football Championship, while national defender Kim Min-jae, 27, who recently moved to German giants Bayern Munich, won the title in 2014 when he was a student at Suwon Technical High School, and Hwang Hee-chan, 27, who plays for Wolverhampton in England, won the title in 2013 with Pohang Steel.
In high school soccer, youth teams under the systematic management of professional clubs have been prominent. Since the 2016 championship, Suwon Mattan, Ulsan Hyundai, Pohang Steelers, Gwangju Geumho, Gwangju FC, and Jeonju Youngsang have taken turns at the top. Then last year, Pyeongtaek Jinwi FC (hereafter referred to as Jinwi), a non-youth team, took the league by storm. Jinyu swept the youth teams, including a 3-0 victory over Suwon Matango in the final. Coach Ko Jae-hyo (43) said, “The weight of being the defending champions is obviously huge. We will continue to treat each game as a final this year.” JINWI’s offense is led by sophomore winger Yu Ji-hoon, who has a good eye for goal.온라인카지노
The youth team is also aiming for upset. Seoul Osango (FC Seoul) and Jeonju Youngsanggo topped the A and B divisions, respectively, in the K League Junior, a competition between teams affiliated with professional organizations. Seoul Osango is in good shape, having won the Korea Football Association championship in May. Yoon Hyun-pil, 33, head coach of Seoul Osango, said, “It means a lot for the players to experience the final. We will play soccer to increase our possession and prevent counterattacks.” The midfielders, including sophomore Min Ji-hoon, have a solid back line. Lee Kwang-hyun (42), head coach of Jeonju Youngsanggo, said, “The players are strengthening their will before this tournament, saying, ‘Let’s win again.’ We will put pressure on our opponents through the buildup.” Jeonju Youngsanggo captain Kim Nam-jun, a junior, is a solid defender who also has a knack for scoring headers.