Category: 꽁머니

Shortstop defense is weak, but it is difficult to recruit external FA… Lotte is agonizing over Park Seung-wook, a ‘5 billion won substitute’

Posted on by Joshua Martinez

The Lotte Giants, who failed to fill the shortstop hole even after investing a large amount of money, are deeply worried. Although they have found a new starting player named Park Seung-wook (31), their weaknesses still stand out compared to other teams.

Lotte signed a four-year free agent contract with Roh Jin-hyuk, an offensive shortstop who hit double-digit homers (2018-2020) for three consecutive seasons in November 2022. Contrary to expectations, Roh suffered the worst slump. Roh, who had a monthly batting average of 0.154 between March and April, was demoted to the second tier.

After Noh Jin-hyuk was notified of the second division, Park Seung-wook and Lee Hak-joo began to take turns in shortstop positions. It was Park Seung-wook who survived to the end of the two players. Lee Hak-joo was canceled from the first division on July 13, and Park Seung-wook became Lotte’s main shortstop because he was not called up until the end of the season.

Park had a batting average of 0.262, seven homers, 53 RBIs and an OPS of 0.716, in 139 games in the 2024 season. He left a meaningful record in offense. Since his debut as a pro, he has played the most games in the first team, hit a career-high seven homers and recorded his first 100 hits (106 hits). Noh Jin-hyuk and Lee Hak-joo were sluggish, but they struggled in their own way.

The problem was defense. Having revealed his weakness in defense, Park did not appear to be the main player. With 23 errors in the 2024 season, Park tied for second with Park Chan-ho (KIA Tigers) and Park Sung-han (SSG Landers) in overall error category.

Park Chan-ho (1,120 ⅓ innings) and Park Sung-han (1,115 innings) worked over 1,100 defensive innings, recording 23 errors and making up some of their disappointment in defense with a batting average of 300. Park, on the other hand, recorded 22 errors in 833 innings as a shortstop, and frequently made fatal errors at important moments.

Unless conditions change for the next season, the main shortstop is highly likely to be Park Seung-wook. There is a very small chance that Lee Hak-joo and Roh Jin-hyuk, who are in their mid-30s, will rebound in the 2025 season. Young players who can play shortstop Kim Se-min and Han Tae-yang will finish their military service, but no guarantee of their performance in the first division can be guaranteed. Rookie Lee Ho-joon has no experience playing in full-time seasons.

Lotte’s shortstop position worries have plagued the team for a long time. Lotte, which could not find a stable shortstop on either side of offense or defense, started to solve shortstop position concerns with a foreign hitter card called Dixon Machado in 2020. Machado batted in the late-2020 (0.280 in 2020 and 0.279 in 2021) during the two seasons (2020-2021), and the number of errors was only 21 (10 in 2020 and 11 in 2021).

꽁머니‘s presence has stabilized Lotte’s defense as a whole. Rodong, who had ranked first in league errors for two consecutive seasons in 2018 (117) and 2019 (114), suffered a setback in 2020 by ranking at least fourth (94), and at least first in 2021 (85). However, Lotte eventually ended up accompanying Machado because it lacked the offensive power to use foreign batter slots as shortstop. After that, in 2022, Lotte remained at the bottom of its team’s shortstop batting average (0.209) and OPS (0.556), falling back into a swamp of shortstop agony. As a result, he made a bold investment in FA Noh Jin-hyuk, but the problem still remains unresolved.

If Lotte wants to solve its shortstop problem, it can enter the FA market again. Shim Woo-joon of KT Wiz, who has strong defense, will become an FA after the end of this season. However, chances are high that key relief pitchers Kim Won-joong and Koo Seung-min will apply for the FA. Both players performed below expectations in the 2024 season, but since there is no suitable substitute, they should strive to crack down on the players rather than recruit them from outside.

Lotte, which ranked second after the KIA Tigers (146 errors) with 123 mistakes, needs to stabilize its defense in order to qualify for the fall baseball next season. To this end, the shortstop issue, dubbed the “flower of defense,” should be resolved, but the 2024 season proved that it is too much to trust Park. Although the team has revealed its limitations, the wrinkles are getting bigger due to lack of resources to replace Park.

“The best scene in history.” “I want to come out normal next time.”

Posted on by Joshua Martinez

It was an appearance that will be imprinted on baseball fans for a long time.

This is the story of Samsung pitcher Kim Yoon-soo, who appeared “caught” by his colleague Kim Tae-hoon at the moment of the crisis and struck out the opponent’s best hitter with three pitches.

Kim Yoon-soo, who met with a KBS reporter ahead of the second game, explained the situation at the time, “I couldn’t get the message of who was going out because the surroundings were very noisy. Everyone was busy, and I ran out in a hurry after (Kim) Tae-hoon caught me and confirmed me.”

“My friends sent me a lot of videos (shorts),” Kim said with a smile. “My face looked quite funny. My fans left a lot of comments, so I had fun looking through them.”

The appearance made fans laugh, but Kim Yun-soo surprised fans with the appearance.

The game has narrowed down to three points. At a desperate juncture when a single homerun is tying the game, Kim defeated LG Austin, the best hitter in the league, with three balls. Austin’s three bat wasted no time, and the speed was 155 km/h.

“In the last LG match in the regular league, I gave Austin a score while throwing a breaking ball in the same 0-2 count,” Kim Yoon-soo said. “I remember (Park) Byung-ho saying, ‘You have to play with a fast ball unconditionally,’ so I threw a fast ball boldly.”

Kim Yoon-soo, who blocked LG’s counterattack with an impactful pitch, also took the mound in the next inning (8th inning), but was withdrawn after giving up a hit ball to leadoff hitter Kim Hyun-soo.

“I thought I should catch the leadoff hitter somehow, but I made another mistake,” said Kim Yoon-soo, who expressed regret and said, “I thought I should throw more carefully so as not to make such a mistake in the next game and next 꽁머니 League.”

When asked by a reporter, “How do you want to appear next time?” Kim Yoon-soo, who answered, “I just want to appear normal,” strengthened his will for the upcoming game, saying, “I want to make a pitch that doesn’t allow a run next time.”

“Hwang Hee-chan, if you operate, you will inevitably leave for up to 10 weeks”…Wolverhampton on the verge of relegation, Hwang Hee-chan’s departure is a big hit → “What O’Neill wanted to see the most.”

Posted on by Joshua Martinez

Wolverhampton in the English Premier League (EPL) is in real crisis.

Wolverhampton lost to Brentford 3-5 in the seventh round of the EPL on Saturday. Having lost four games in a row in this season, Wolverhampton had one draw and six losses without winning a single game this season. He is the last in the league.

In this situation, key striker Hwang Hee-chan was injured. Hwang Hee-chan started the final Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup between South Korea and Jordan on the 10th and was replaced in the 23rd minute of the second half. It is a left ankle injury. Hwang Hee-chan was eventually eliminated. He left the national team and cannot play in the match against Iraq. And there is no promise when he will be able to return.

Ankle surgery is said to be inevitable. If you have surgery, you can leave the team for up to 10 weeks. It is a big blow to Wolverhampton, who is in urgent need of escaping the relegation zone. Hwang Hee-chan has been sluggish this season, but he is a must for Wolverhampton. He is one of the most trusted players by manager Gary O’Neill. Hwang Hee-chan’s departure is raising concerns for Wolverhampton.

Molineux News, which reported Wolverhampton, said, “The A-match was a nightmare for Hwang Hee-chan. O’Neill will want all the players to come back healthy and cheer up Wolverhampton, but Hwang Hee-chan couldn’t. Hwang Hee-chan suffered an ankle injury after being dealt a terrible tackle in the match against Jordan. Wolverhampton fans had to be horrified. The exact extent of the injury is not out yet, but it seems to be a serious injury.”

“According to the opinion of the injury expert, Hwang Hee-chan’s ankle was forced to turn over due to a terrible tackle. I am concerned about a serious injury. Unfortunately, it does not look promising. Surgery may be needed to repair the structure around the ankle. If Hwang Hee-chan undergoes surgery, the recovery period is expected to take eight to 10 weeks. There are opinions that he can return optimistically in three to four weeks, but according to the opinion of the expert, it is unlikely. Hwang Hee-chan moved in a wheelchair. Hopefully, our expectations are wrong,” he explained.

“O’Neill was under additional pressure. The last thing O’Neill wanted to see happened. Wolverhampton, at the bottom of the league, desperately needs a point. Hwang Hee-chan has been very different from his usual form this season, but he is a player with experience and quality that displays his best 꽁머니. Losing such a player is a big blow to Wolverhampton. Hwang Hee-chan’s injury will be a serious problem for the Wolverhampton squad,” he stressed.

‘Manchester City transfer rumor’ Italian national university MF “I’m very happy…”I’m studying after watching your video”

Posted on by Joshua Martinez

Turin’s Samuele Richie has opened up about rumors of a transfer to Manchester City.

“Torino’s star Richie said he was honored to transfer to Manchester City and studied Rodri’s game to improve his skills,” the British ‘Goal Dotcom’ reported on the 13th (Korea Standard Time).

Manchester City has recently faced a huge bad news. Core midfielder Rodri suffered a knee injury while playing against Arsenal in the 5th round of the last PL. His condition is serious. There is a very high possibility that he will not be able to play again this season.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said, “He will come back next season because he underwent anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus surgery. This season is over. We got the worst news, but we can’t help it. Unfortunately, sometimes this happens.”

Manchester City is looking for a replacement for Rodri. One of the players being discussed is Richie, who plays for Turin. He grew up in Empoli. It was from the 2019-20 season that he made his professional appearance. At that time, he established his position by playing in 30 games while his team was relegated.

The following year, his performance was even better. Richie led Empoli to promotion by scoring two goals and four assists in 36 matches. After the end of the season, he was named the Italian Serie B Player of the Year. He also showed good performance in Serie A. During the 2021-22 season, he made one goal and one assist in 24 matches.

Thanks to his performance, he also joined the Italian national soccer team. Rich made his a – match debut against Germany in June 2022. He has played in four a – match matches so far. Ahead of the 2022-23 season, several teams were interested in Rich.

His destination was Turin. He displayed impressive performance in 32 matches, two goals and one assist in the first season. He finished the season with 33 matches, one goal and four assists. He is also playing as a main midfielder this season, with seven matches and one assist.

According to the Guardian, Manchester City picked Richie as a substitute for Rodri. “Richie can play in various midfield positions and is emerging as one of the young deep-lining playmakers,” the media said.

The media outlet stated, “Richie will be viewed as a prudent and long-term recruitment. Given that the transfer fee could rise to £30 million (W52.6 billion), it will not be a mere stopgap measure. Manchester City have to decide whether to move forward with their summer transfer window plans.”

On the rumor of his transfer to Manchester City, Richie said, “I’m very happy, but now I understand a little more about soccer. To be connected to such a big club means that I am on the right track. I am satisfied with this.”

“I trained a lot to turn my head around and see what was behind me. Because it can make a difference. Sometimes you have to watch it more than once. That’s how coach 꽁머니 taught me,” he said.

Richie watches videos of Rodri and does his research. He added, “Coach sends me videos to study, and most of them are Rodri’s videos. You can see the importance of trivial things. I still have to improve a lot of things, such as positioning.”

Liverpool’s ‘Shock’ Recruitment, Robertson Becomes ‘Long-Term Replacement’… Interested in ‘LB from Manchester United’

Posted on by Joshua Martinez

Alvaro Fernandez (SL Benfica) from Manchester United is attracting attention from archrival Liverpool.

Spanish media As said on the 12th (Korea time), “Liverpool is keeping an eye on Alvaro Fernandez. His performance against Atletico Madrid (ATM) was enough to arouse interest. Liverpool is the most active player at the moment.”

Fernandez, a former member of Real Madrid’s youth team, wore the Manchester United uniform in 2020. Although Fernandez was born in 2003, he immediately joined the U-23 team and secured the starting left-back position.

Fernandez went on loan to Preston North End and Granada CF to gain experience in playing in the first team, but failed to settle down in Manchester United’s first team. Eventually, he transferred to Benfica on loan during the last season and confirmed his full transfer ahead of this season.

After moving to Benfica, Fernandez has emerged as a key player in his team. He made a soft landing with Benfica last season and has been reborn as a key player for the team this season. Fernandez has full potential after leaving Manchester United, ranking No. 1 in creating chances.

In particular, he showed great performance in the second round of the UEFA Champions League phase against ATM on the 3rd. Fernandez recorded four interceptions and one key pass in 90 minutes, receiving 8.2 points, the highest rating for both teams, from “Sofas Score.”

Thanks to his performance, Fernandez is drawing attention from 꽁머니. Ahead of this season, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp resigned and Arne Slot took the helm. Liverpool ranks first in the English Premier League (EPL) and fifth in the UEFA Champions League phase in the slot system.

Andy Robertson is the starting left-back for Liverpool. Robertson, who moved to Liverpool in 2017, was born in 1994 and has turned 30. Kostas Chimikas, the backup left-back, is also born in 1996, and is not young. Hence, Liverpool wants Fernandez, a young defender born in 2003.

As added: “Liverpool are looking for a long-term replacement for Robertson. Fernandes does not need to adapt in England through his life at United and Preston. Fernandes is under contract until 2029 but has a termination clause.”

Liverpool to be selected as a “Sala replacement” and “Korean killer” striker “potential candidate”

Posted on by Joshua Martinez

West Ham’s Mohamed Kudus (24) is attracting Liverpool’s attention.

British media ‘Give Me Sports’ reported on the 12th (Korea Standard Time) that “Liverpool is trying to recruit Kudus on behalf of Mohamed Salah.”

According to Spanish media outlet Pichahes, Liverpool chose Qudus as its long-term successor to Salah. The team plans to bring Qudus back next summer.

Cudus, who scored 14 goals in 45 games for West Ham last season, has received interest from major European clubs. Last August, Arsenal even considered signing him.

He is now linked with Liverpool. The outlet said, “Liverpool has chosen Kudus as Salah’s successor when his contract expires. He believes he can be an ideal replacement.”

Cudus, an attacking midfielder who plays for West Ham after Ajax, is a player with outstanding dribbling, ball control, excellent speed, and strong body balance. With his large amount of activity, he has considerable ability to contribute to his team in attack and defense.

Qudus’s potential was widely known. He made his name even more famous during an interview comparing himself to Neymar.

“Neymar is not a better player than me. He has more experience than me. That’s all he has done,” he said. “I like the evaluation because he has achieved a lot, but I will reach that level soon.” At the time, Qudus’ remarks were criticized, but he was also praised for his confidence.

He also showed strong performance in the match against Korea. He scored multiple goals in the second group match against Korea at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. Through this, Korea lost to Ghana 2-3.

He had a successful season with West Ham last season. The same goes for this season. He has one goal and one assist in a total of nine matches. He has displayed his versatility by playing left and right wingers.

“꽁머니 is keeping an eye on his situation. No specific negotiations have begun yet. However, it is clear that he is a potential recruitment target,” Pichahes said.

“Nightmare News” Hwang Hee-chan is expected to leave for up to 8-10 weeks…Wolverhampton is also in “super emergency.”

Posted on by Joshua Martinez

The news that Hwang Hee-chan collapsed due to his injury spread directly to the UK. “Coach Gary O’Neill will be hoping that all the players who have been sent to the national team will return to health, but it was impossible for Hwang Hee-chan,” Molineux said. “He suffered an ankle injury after a terrible tackle in the match against Jordan. His painful appearance caused panic among fans.”

“There is no official news of the injury yet, but according to the injury analyst, the ankle is bent excessively and may require surgery. If you undergo surgery to fix your ankle, it can take 8 to 10 weeks to recover,” he said. “Depending on your condition, you may miss only 3 to 4 weeks, but experts believe that is unlikely.”

Coach O’Neill and Wolverhampton are also on high alert as Hwang Hee-chan collapsed due to injury. Although the proportion of Joker participants in the early part of the season is large, the departure of a key striker who scored 12 goals in the English Premier League (꽁머니) last season could also be a fatal blow to Wolverhampton’s power.

“From O’Neill’s point of view, it would have been the last thing he wanted to see a first-team player seriously injured early in the season,” Molineux said, adding, “Hwang Hee-chan is slowing down early in the season unlike last season, but if experts predict it right, losing a player with the best skills will be a big blow and concern for Wolverhampton.”

“Silly! The problem is not Kim Minjae, but his teammates who are bad at cooperative defense.”The space behind the KIM is too large → Co-workers’ cover fails → It collapses in counterattack

Posted on by Joshua Martinez

Germany’s Bayern Munich has not won the last three games. Then, there is another atmosphere of criticism of the defense. They blame Kim Min-jae, the core of Bayern Munich’s defense.

Bayern Munich drew 3-3 against Frankfurt in the sixth round of the German Bundesliga in the 2024-25 season at Deutsche Bank Parc in Frankfurt, Germany on the 7th.

It was a rough match. Kim Min-jae scored his first goal of the season at the 15th minute of the first half, signaling a fresh start. However, he equalized to his opponent Omar Mamushi in the 22nd minute of the first half and came from behind to Oego Ekitike in the 35th minute of the first half. Bayern Munich’s Dayo Upamecano scored back-to-back goals in the 38th minute of the first half and Michael Oliz scored in the 8th minute of the second half to reverse the situation, but he conceded another goal to his opponent in the extra time of the second half. In the end, the match was a 3-3 draw.

Kim was not happy even with his first goal of the season. Kim joined Upamecano as a starter in the upcoming match. He also exposed loopholes that could collapse due to opponent team’s counterattack No. 3.

The draw prevented Bayern Munich from winning three matches. Following a 1-1 draw at 꽁머니 in the fifth round of the Bundesliga, and 0-1 loss at Aston Villa in the second round of the UEFA Champions League, the team tied Frankfurt again.

Then again, there is an atmosphere that points out problems in defense. To be precise, criticism continues against Kim Min-jae and Upamecano, who are the main players of Bayern Munich this season. It seems that Kim Min-jae and Upamecano are trying to take full responsibility for the loss.

However, there are different views. The problem is not Kim Min-jae and Upamecano, but they are colleagues who cannot support them.” In other words, they do not play cooperative defense, leaving it to only Kim Min-jae and Upamecano.

England’s “Mancity square” said, “It’s Vincent Kompany’s defensive disaster. Kompany showed off his attack and control over the game, but not his defense. In particular, his defensive weaknesses against strong teams were highlighted. Bayern Munich has very tight midfielders. There are many options for passing, occupying the ball, and being able to dominate the game. It ranks first in the Bundesliga with 66 percent of ball possession per game. The pass success rate is also 91 percent, the highest in the Bundesliga.”

However, he pointed out that he has weaknesses in defense. The media outlet analyzed, “There were losses against Leverkusen, Frankfurt, and Aston Villa. Bayern Munich’s attractive style of play has costs. Their dense midfielders often leave a gap. In particular, they exposed Bayern Munich’s defensive problems. The space behind the center-back line of Kim Min-jae and Upamecano is too wide. They have difficulty covering it despite the high speed of their center-backs. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer sometimes goes off his line to handle counterattacks.”

“When facing a strong opponent, Bayern Munich’s high press may not work. If the opposing striker has fast speed, the situation worsens. You can see an example from Marmusz in Frankfurt. Bayern Munich is struggling to defend itself against fast counterattacks. Bayern Munich allowed seven goals in its first six Bundesliga matches, while it had only two clean sheets. It also allowed three goals in two UCL matches. Bayern Munich allowed one goal for every four to five shots it allowed. Neuer’s save rate is as low as 46 percent this season,” he added.

The media offered a solution. The media emphasized, “Joshua Kimihi and Alexander Pavlovic dominate the midfielders, helping the team gain more possession. However, neither player excels at interception. The solution for a better balance is to put João Palinha in. Once Palinha is in, Kimihi can go down to right fullback and Raphael Guerreiro can go down to right fullback to form a 4-3-3 formation. Defensive support is available. However, to do this, you have to sacrifice one of Serge Gnabry, Michael Olise, and Jamal Musiala on offense.”