Third, first... Hong Sung-min, the ' Cup semifinalist' who announced his goal to advance to Europe, said, "Dream team is Tottenham... GK video is Pickford's 'One Pick'."

Third, first... Hong Sung-min, the ' Cup semifinalist' who announced his goal to advance to Europe, said, "Dream team is Tottenham... GK video is Pickford's 'One Pick'."

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Hong Sung-min, who led the 2025 AFC (Asian Football Federation) U-20 (under 20) Asian Cup semifinals, expressed his willingness to advance to Europe.

Hong Seong-min, a promising goalkeeper born in 2006, signed a semi-professional contract with Pohang in May last year after serving as a member of Sangju Sangmu and Pohang Steelers Youth. The national flag has been worn since the days of the Korean U-17 national team led by former coach Byun Sung-hwan in 2022. It has firmly established itself at the youth level, including full-time for the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup Thailand and full-time for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia.
Hong Sung-min will have made a clear impact on the public at the 2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup. Unlike at the U-17 level, Hong was originally considered a third, or the third goalkeeper, as Park Sang-young and Kim Min-soo, the first-year seniors, were holding out at the U-20 level, and only made their first appearance through halftime replacements in the final group stage match between Korea and Japan.

Hong Sung-min, who got a chance to start in the quarterfinals against Uzbekistan, saved the penalty he gave 45 seconds after kickoff, and after extra time, he blocked all shots to kicker number 4 except kicker number 3, giving South Korea a ticket to the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile.

Hong has been selected as the first convening member of Egypt's U-20 friendly match against Norway and Brazil, and is sweating profusely in Wonju, Gangwon State. In front of reporters during the training session, Hong said, "It is an honor to be here on behalf of the Republic of Korea. I honestly still can't believe it. I think it will feel real tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

Hong grew 2 centimeters to 186 centimeters, standing 184 centimeters tall before the competition. He has grown a little taller than a goalkeeper any longer. Still, he is not as tall as a goalkeeper in modern soccer. Coincidentally, his team is Pohang, where short-term goalkeepers such as Shin Hwa-yong (182 centimeters) stood out. "I heard that there is a genealogy of goalkeepers in Pohang. Fans are saying positively that I am continuing that genealogy," Hong said with a big smile.

Hong Seong-min is covering the shortcomings of being short with his firm strength. "I can use both feet freely and I think he is good at coordinating the game. Quickness and agility are also my strengths," he said, listing his strengths. The representative example of his quickness was the shootout at the last Asian Cup. "Rather than thinking in advance, I predict the direction by looking at the opponent's striker's stepping foot. I will wait and block it without floating first," he said, revealing his know-how to defend the penalty shootout.

Lee Chang-won, coach of the U-20 national team, is also from Pohang, and is trying to display Hong's build-up style. "He encourages me to play comfortably even in difficult situations. He trusts me and leads me well," Hong said.

Kim Joon-hong, a goalkeeper from Jeonbuk Hyundai Youth, recently entered the DC United, a major league soccer player in the U.S., and threw his hat into the ring to prove the excellence of Korean goalkeepers. Still, it is extremely rare for Korean goalkeepers to advance to Europe. Even when compared with their neighboring countries, Korea is even more different from their Japanese counterparts. Hong Seong-min showed his willingness to challenge this monumental goal. "My biggest goal is to be on the European stage," he said. "Since my performance was good at the Asian Cup, wouldn't there be a good opportunity if I did well without being nervous at the World Cup?" he said with confidence.

Then, what kind of club does Hong have in mind? Hong said, "My dream team is Tottenham Hotspur. I have always liked Son Heung-min so much. But I think it would be nice if you could call me anywhere in Europe. I've been watching a lot of videos of him playing for the English national team, Jordan Pickford. Of course, his goals and role models are also for Pohang brothers." It is interesting to see if Hong will make another leap forward through the U-20 World Cup. 메이저사이트