Weekend Schedule Mar 10

As I mentioned, on vacation for next week and a half or so, and as a result just brief snippets.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Thursday	12:45 PM	Hong Hyun Seok	LASK	@Slavia Prague	Paramount+
Thursday	2:30 PM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	Watford	Peacock
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Wolfsburg	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	@Augsburg	ESPN+
Saturday	12:30 PM	Lee Dong Jun	Hertha Berlin	@Gladbach	ESPN+
Saturday	12:30 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Man Utd	Peacock
Sunday	8:00 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	@PSG	BeIN
Sunday	10:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@Everton	Peacock
Monday	4:00 PM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	Real Madrid	ESPN+

Hong Hyun Seok-- Just putting on as a rare chance to see if he plays. Has been in and out of starting XI lately.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Started and sounded like Wolves were not in it but Hwang did play quite a bit. Should start one of these two matches but not sure which one and likely off the bench on the other if he doesn't start both.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- Keeps starting but didn't watch. Good chance of starting again but may need a goal to avoid the bench if its not too late already.


Lee Jae Sung-- No idea if there will even be a match with Mainz struggling with COVID and requesting a brief hiatus.


Lee Dong Jun-- Started and not sure how well he did to know if he gets another go but with losses getting embarrassing and now in bottom three, would be hard to predict anyway.


Son Heung Min-- Scored a goal and a better but apparently still inconsistent match... I watched some but Tottenham were on cruise control early against a sad Everton. Should start.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Should start but apparently still has struggled even by the poor standards of Bordeaux who sit last in the table.


Lee Kang In-- Came on as a sub and with Mallorca drifting downward, is this finally the moment when he gets to start?

Weekend Preview Mar 5th and Recap Mar 1st

Personal life has been a bit busy with a home remodel starting soon so apologies if the blog is a bit briefer over next several months and even more so over next couple weeks with vacation. I will still be doing my best to watch and livetweet what I am watching but catching up on missed matches or watching with multiscreen and/or full attention might be difficult.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Leipzig	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Dong Jun	Hertha Berlin	Eintracht Frankfurt	ESPN+
Saturday	10:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	Crystal Palace	Peacock
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	Troyes	BeIN
Sunday	12:30 PM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	@Celta Vigo	ESPN+
Monday	3:00 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	Everton	USA
Off		Lee Jae Sung	Mainz		ESPN+

Jeong Woo Yeong-- Jeong looked decent in what I saw but a bit quiet on the whole.


Lee Dong Jun-- Likely a sub.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Probably back to the bench with a full week but not sure how Wolves will line up.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Should start.


Lee Kang In-- Came on as a sub and recurring themes of only replacing Kubo doesn't point to 


Son Heung Min-- I saw the first half and was underwhelmed but apparently things got a lot worse for Son in the second half who apparently played very poorly. Regardless, Son should start both in terms of Conte's need for him and lack of alternatives with Lucas only returning now.


Lee Jae Sung-- Match postponed with a COVID outbreak. They only pushed the match back a week or so and hoping that LJS and his teammates are doing well.

Midweek Preview Mar 1 and Recap Feb 23

Short turnaround sigh with midweek cup action. Didn't get to watching all of Hwang Hee Chan outing though there's a chance to watch Choi Kyoung Rok who's fresh off a goal on the weekend Wednesday in the cup on ESPN3.


Tuesday

Son Heung Min -- Tottenham go to Middlesbrough for FA Cup at 2:55 PM on ESPN+ - Much better from Son though still feels quite far from his best though much due to the lack of need with Tottenham getting ahead early. Against Bielsa's go for broke approach, Son often got behind Leeds' back line but his direct impact didn't result in fruition until he scored before being subbed off. Its a lot of minutes but a tough opponent, no match until Monday and Tottenham's last chance for hardware so Son should start.


Wednesday

Lee Kang In -- Mallorca hosts Real Sociedad at 3PM on ESPN+ - Lee Kang In again was only subbed on late with Kubo playing well and Garcia's reluctance to have both of them on at the same time barring desperate need. Starting off on the left, he didn't really create much though he moved more centrally and was able to at least help in the buildup even if his defensive work was poor. At some point I would think that Garcia has to start Lee Kang In and off two losses and a short week, perhaps this is the time but not convinced given lack of minutes lately.

Jeong Woo Yeong -- Freiburg travel to Bochum for DFB Pokal at 2:45 PM on ESPN3 - Jeong started and was a good showing playing more as a 10 rather than a second forward. In this role, his recent problems with the final ball were de-emphasized while his work and speed provided an outlet in the transition. And despite said problems, Jeong had a near assist with a great pass to setup a chance that led to a PK. Jeong did slow down a bit in the second half though the biggest downside was how well the subs played making future starts a bit more questionable. Decent chance of starting though rest for the weekend is also possible.

Recap

Hwang Hee Chan -- As mentioned, I only saw some but HHC's largest contributions were in the middle in a fairly quiet showing. Apparently had a great chance to score but didn't take it.


Lee Dong Jun -- Came on as a sub and though I was watching the match, didn't see a chance for him to score and soon it was all Freiburg.


Lee Jae Sung -- Started and was decent though far from great. LJS was strongest around the halfway line, providing a decent target both in terms of positioning and his touches under pressure to keep the attack going. Mainz were not playing that fluidly and as a result LJS was somewhat limited outside a few decent runs.


Hwang Ui Jo -- Started in a loss and didn't sound like he played well.

Week Preview Feb 23

The long weekend got away from me so literally have watched zero minutes from the weekend. Apologies but there's a lot of action this week.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Wednesday	2:30 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Burnley	Peacock
Thursday	2:45 PM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@Arsenal	Peacock
Thursday	3:00 PM	Kim Min Jae	Fenerbahce	@Slavia Prague	Paramount+
Saturday	7:30 AM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Leeds	USA
Saturday	8:00 AM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	Valencia	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Hertha Berlin	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Dong Jun	Hertha Berlin	@Freiburg	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	@Union Berlin	ESPN+
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	@Clermont	BeIN Xtra
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@West Ham	USA

Son Heung Min-- Had a couple assists and reportedly played well in a huge upset of Man City which gives Tottenham a needed jolt. Should start both matches but given short turnaround, Conte may be hoping to take him off early if Tottenham can get something going.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Came on as a sub and perhaps a better chance to start vs. Arsenal if they rotate the attack at all, and if not, should get another chance to start on the weekend.


Kim Min Jae-- Should start but was taken off early last week so not as positive as normal.


Lee Kang In-- Came on as a sub. Didn't know how well he played but maybe given a chance to start vs. his old club.


Lee Jae Sung-- As I didn't watch him or Jeong, difficult to guess if they start. If one of the two weren't, seems likely that LJS given his early sub off but may be reflective of his endurance levels at this point.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- See above and so unclear if he starts given lack of final product at this point.


Lee Dong Jun-- Missed last weekend with COVID and this weekend would be cutting things very close with no major updates yet. His role likely dependent on both his own and teammates' recovery if he's forced into greater than normal action due to large number of absences.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Should start.

Week Preview Feb 17 and Weekend Recap Feb 12

UEFA Conference League starts again so adding Kim Min Jae back on for the playoffs as a reminder for those wanting to watch.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Thursday	12:45 PM	Kim Min Jae	Fenerbahce	Maccabi Tel Aviv	Paramount+
Friday	2:30 PM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	Leverkusen	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	@Augsburg	ESPN+
Saturday	12:30 PM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	@Man City	NBC
Sunday	9:00 AM	Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes	@Rennes	BeIN
Sunday	11:05 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	Monaco	BeIN
Sunday	11:30 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	Leicester	USA
Sunday	12:30 PM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	@Real Betis	ESPN+
Sunday	1:30 PM	Lee Dong Jun	Hertha Berlin	Leipzig	ESPN+

Kim Min Jae-- Should start.


Lee Jae Sung-- Started off decently in the first half playing as an attacking winger but showed some of his limitations in final third with some questionable decision making and execution. But he ran hard and was a decent part of the Mainz press. Lee really faded in the second half before being subbed off a bit past an hour. I'm unclear if this shift was a one-off or how it plays into LJS' playing time but still leaning to starting as Mainz looked worse when he was subbed off.


Jeong Woo Yeong-- Jeong was a bit better when he had the ball providing some pace to Freiburg's attack but those touches were pretty infrequent as Freiburg struggled for possession. Had a decent shot that was saved but overall pretty low impact despite a few attempts to move him around the pitch to get him involved. Jeong was given a quite long run out at 85' and much of the problems were behind so his starting will depend on what shape Streich may use but a higher chance of bench this week.


Son Heung Min-- Son's struggles are becoming a bit more concrete now as some of the extenuating circumstances of rust are less applicable. It is very frustrating as Son was physically explosive again with good moves and finding space but would waste many opportunities with heavy or sloppy touches. Frustrating day and even a more frustrating result for Tottenham where top four looks increasingly remote. Should start this weekend.


Suk Hyun Jun-- Will drop next time until I see some positive signs.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Scored a goal and apparently played decently but Bordeaux stuck in the bottom of the table with new manager set to start this week. Should keep starting given one of few Bordeaux players performing.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Came on as a sub but didn't have to do much as Wolves had a comfortable lead but were mostly defending for the final stretch. Hopefully a bigger role this weekend though likely still from the bench.


Lee Kang In-- Came on as a sub for final ten minutes and was a large part of Mallorca salvaging a win when they looked like they had squandered a two goal cushion. It was disappointingly late and reflects the concerns that Garcia has on having both Lee KI and Kubo on at the same time. I do think that LKI could improve his work rate to alleviate these concerns; even in this brief showing, LKI had some questionable defending. But on the ball he had some great dribbles and even had a few chances to put Mallorca back in front and those qualities put Mallorca back in front momentum-wise even if he didn't score the winning goal. For now, I think LKI remains a bench player but hopefully a bigger role soon.


Lee Dong Jun-- A bit disappointing to see him only come on for final ten minutes despite Hertha being only a single goal down. Similar issues as last week with good pace but struggling on beating defenders 1-on-1. Had a shot on target but looked to be trying too hard to shoot from a tight angle when he had some teammates rushing the goal. Likely from the bench again.

Weekend Preview Feb 12 and Midweek Recap Feb 9

Hoping for more action for the new guys on the list and say Lee Dong Gyeong down in BL2.

Day	Time	Player	Club	Opponent	TV
Saturday	9:30 AM	Jeong Woo Yeong	Freiburg	Mainz	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Dong Jun	Hertha Berlin	@Fuerth	ESPN+
Saturday	9:30 AM	Lee Jae Sung	Mainz	@Freiburg	ESPN+
Sunday	9:00 AM	Son Heung Min	Tottenham	Wolverhampton	Peacock
Sunday	9:00 AM	Suk Hyun Jun	Troyes	@Brest	BeIN Play
Sunday	9:00 AM	Hwang Hee Chan	Wolverhampton	@Tottenham	Peacock
Sunday	11:05 AM	Hwang Ui Jo	Bordeaux	@Lens	BeIN
Monday	3:00 PM	Lee Kang In	Mallorca	Athletic Bilbao	ESPN+

Jeong Woo Yeong-- Without international duty and after offensive struggles last week, a decent chance of starting and almost certainly going to come on as a sub if not.


Lee Jae Sung-- Similar to Jeong except with a goal to further push his starting bid. Think he starts.


Lee Dong Jun-- Clearly Hertha needs help and last week was a vote of confidence but still seems a bit early to start though certainly possible.


Son Heung Min-- I was worried about fatigue but it was rust that continued to show for Son. Provided good spark and fight going forward but lacked the precision to consistently create danger in the box. But he stepped up twice, first forcing an own goal with a nice run and then scoring properly with a nice first touch on a good cross. Sadly Tottenham's defense showed its flaws yet again on a day when Son wasn't quite sharp enough to be a hero. Son should start again as Conte mentioned needing to gamble a bit on Son's recovery.


Suk Hyun Jun-- No idea whats going on.


Hwang Hee Chan-- Finally made the squad... and a back spasm prevented him from making a return on the pitch when the Wolves really could have used an offensive force against 10 men Arsenal. Seems too soon to return even for a minor spasm but not sure of severity.


Hwang Ui Jo-- Should start but will they announce new manager by then?


Lee Kang In-- Probably the most uncertain as Mallorca weren't great offensively last week but they did win. Leaning to a bench role but hopefully makes an appearance this week.

Midweek Preview Feb 9 and Weekend Recap Feb 4

Almost didn't check the midweek fixture list. There's a part of me that's happy when the sides get knocked out of cups as it reduces fixture congestion blogging wise.

Wednesday

Son Heung Min -- Tottenham host Southampton at 2:45 PM on USA - Son looked pretty fit as he had his pace and explosiveness but looked to show a bit of rust as some things didn't quite turn up for him directly. That said he had a hand in two goals, with the first being rewarded for his press by picking off an errant ball and later when he ran through the most of the defense and despite being a bit selfish with the ball, forced defender to clear it to Kane for a goal. Not going to read too much into a cup match but some positive signs as to what a full strength Tottenham might look like with more time under Conte's system under the belt. Good chance of starting with an extra day of rest on the weekend.

Thursday

Hwang Hee Chan -- Wolves host Arsenal at 2:45 PM on Peacock - I suspect still too soon for him.

Recap

Lee Dong Jun -- Came on as a surprise sub with about thirty minutes to go. It started off well with LDJ able to get past a defender but being unfortunate to not get a foul


Jeong Woo Yeong -- Jeong came on as an early offensive sub, first starting as a second striker/wide forward and dropping a bit back into a more central role with the addition of more strikers. He brought energy and pace but also some of his usual mistakes such as not beating first man on a cross with plenty of room and time. If his teammates had found him or been more accurate when they did, however, we might be writing a different narrative as there were chances to be found. 


Lee Jae Sung -- Came on as a sub and scored the game winner shortly after, with LJS making a smart run into the box to receive a well placed first time pass that LJS was able to confidently fire past the GK. He was rested due to all the international work, and that fatigue showed in some of his errors. LJS being able to contribute despite that fatigue, which he's struggled to do at times with this season is another positive sign in his integration into Mainz.


Lee Kang In -- An unused sub as Mallorca were clinging onto their lead in a six-point relegation battle.


Hwang Ui Jo -- As you know I generally pay for what I watch and have avoided paying exclusively for HUJ and weekends like this don't incentivize me to change my mind. Another blowout loss, this time with HUJ coming off late in the second half, now means a new manager but 


Suk Hyun Jun -- Still out. Thinking of dropping him unless there's positive steps to on-pitch minutes.