Ulsan HD captain Joo Min-gyu
The Ulsan club and fans expressed their support for Ulsan HD striker Joo Min-gyu, who wore the national flag for the first time at the age of 33 years and 333 days, the oldest player in history. Joo Min-gyu, who had suffered elimination several times despite his good performance, was determined not to miss the opportunity he received late.
Ulsan won 1-0 in the second leg of the 2023-24 ACL quarterfinals held at Munsu Soccer Stadium in Ulsan on the 12th. Seol Young-woo's first goal in extra time in the first half became the winning goal. Ulsan, who had been tied 1-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinals held in Jeonju on the 5th, beat Jeonbuk with one win and one draw and advanced to the semifinals.
On this day, Joo Min-gyu wore Ulsan's captain's armband and played as a top striker at the forefront, contributing to the victory by playing on the pitch until the 41st minute of the second half.
Joo Min-gyu, who was named on the March A-match list announced on the 11th, showed sharp movements on the pitch and proved that coach Hwang Seon-hong's choice was not wrong.
Regarding the selection of Joo Min-gyu, Coach Hwang said, “Scoring ability in soccer is a different area,” and added, “There is no player who has scored 50 goals in the (K) League over three years. “There is no need for further explanation,” he said, expressing trust.
In the 2023-2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League quarterfinal second leg match between Ulsan HD FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors held at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium on the afternoon of the 12th, Ulsan Joo Min-gyu is substituted in the second half.
Even though he was the top scorer in the K League twice in the past (2021 and 2023), he was ignored by the coaches. On the 11th, he was selected to the A national team as the oldest player ever at 33 years and 333 days old, and succeeded in causing a stir.
Joo Min-gyu was evaluated as the best striker in the K League, but both former coach Paulo Bento and former coach Jurgen Klinsmann ignored him. Joo Min-gyu, who has a solid physique of 183cm and 83kg, was considered a striker who was good at post play and had good foot skills, but he rarely got a chance with the national team. I was constantly looking forward to the next one, but now that I was well over 30, the Taegeuk mark seemed like an unattainable dream. However, Joo Min-gyu, who has been silently accumulating scoring records while wearing the Ulsan uniform, is dreaming of making his national team debut after being selected by coach Hwang Seon-hong, a former striker like himself. If Joo Min-gyu participates in the North and Central America World Cup Asia 2nd qualifier against Thailand on the 21st, he will also set the record for the oldest international debut in the history of the national team (33 years, 343 days). The previous record was held by Han Chang-hwa, who played in the Turkic League at the 1954 Swiss World Cup, and was 32 years and 168 days old at the time. The Ulsan team and fans applauded Ju Min-gyu, who is blooming brilliantly belatedly, in the ACL match against Jeonbuk on the 12th. Ulsan gave a thumbs up, saying, “I wanted it more earnestly than anyone else, so I built up the long wait with consistency,” and added, “At last, Joo Min-gyu, the flower that bloomed freely there, his season has come.” Fans also praised Joo Min-gyu, who had poured out a lot on the pitch, with a cheering phrase in the stands that said, “A flower that blooms late and is more fragrant.” Joo Min-gyu said through the club, “I had been eliminated from the national team several times before, so I didn’t expect to be hurt this time either,” and added, “I am grateful to everyone, including my family. “Everyone around me supported me as if it were their own, and I’m grateful to see it come to fruition,” he said. The national team, including Joo Min-gyu, will be convened on the 18th. After playing the North and Central America World Cup 2nd qualifying home game against Thailand at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 21st, they will play an away game in Bangkok, Thailand on the 26th. 한국야동