In the first round of auditions for 'We Must Come Together 2', a number of successful candidates were selected in the first round.
In JTBC's 'We Have to Come Together 2', which aired on the 19th, an on-site audition to find the Avengers' immediate talent began.
On this day's broadcast, we met the national rugby team as the first event of the audition. Among the national rugby team players who stood out for their physicality, speed, fighting spirit, and tenacity, Jang Jeong-min, Han Geon-gyu, Kim Gwang-min, Yoo Hee-beom, and Lee Jun-i were named as first-rounders.
Previously, the manager and coaching staff held an emergency meeting and attempted to make changes to save the Somehow Avengers, who were in crisis after recording three consecutive losses, breaking the national record. Prior to the restart of the dojang, it was decided to add more players as there were concerns about the players' stagnant skills and a shortage of players due to the Asian Games being held in Hangzhou. The decision was made to discover talent for soccer, an unpopular sport, through on-site auditions.
The Avengers were urgently notified of the resumption of national dojo-breaking, which had been temporarily suspended, news of re-challenges in Jeolla-do, Gyeongsang-do, and Jeju-do in regions where dojo-breaking failed, as well as cool-headed evaluations from managers and coaches that the players' soccer skills were stagnant. In addition, it was announced that on-site auditions would be held to reinforce power, adding to the tension.
As on-site auditions for the national rugby team have begun, coach Ahn Jung-hwan announced that existing players will be used as a reference point for evaluation, and also announced plans to recruit one additional player for each position, drawing attention to preserving the positions of existing players.
In particular, several players stood out during the physical test of the national rugby team players. Jang Jeong-min surprised viewers by arriving at the landing point faster than the kicker kicked the ball in the 30m sprint catch. Han Geon-gyu, aiming for the keeper position, somehow blew away Kim Dong-hyun, the Avengers' physical manager, in a 1-on-1 gym ball steal and won in 4 seconds.
Baek Jong-eun caught the eye by defeating former national rugby player Andre Jean with core strength and tenacity. In the soccer ability test, Kim Gwang-min demonstrated exceptional ball control ability, and Han Geon-gyu once again made a mark with his catching and quick reaction speed to catch head coach Lee Dong-guk's shot.
As the final test, the final hurdle, was entered into a 5-on-5 futsal match between the Avengers and the national rugby team, Han Geon-gyu's parade of saves evoked admiration. The opening goal was accidentally lost to the Avengers' General Lee, but the national rugby team's Jang Jung-min showed decisiveness with an accurate shot aimed at the corner, ending the first half with a 1-1 tie.
In the second half, Jang Jeong-min's speed to catch up with even long dribbles, and Han Geon-gyu's quick situational judgment and reflexes to guard the goal were seen. While the score was 4-2 thanks to goals from the Avengers' Eun-gyu Ryu, Nam-gyu Lim, and Jun-ho Kim and a chasing goal from Jin-gyu Lee of the national rugby team, coach Ahn Jung-hwan selected Han Geon-gyu, Jang Jung-min, Lee Jun-i, Kim Gwang-min, and Lee Seong-bae as players he would like to see more of. Just before the end of the game, Lee Jun-i connected the ball flying from behind with a non-stop volley, and although he failed to score, he created a sensation with a difficult shot.
After the game and a meeting between the manager and coaches, the players who passed the first round of auditions were announced. Jang Jeong-min, who can deploy on the side, Han Geon-gyu, who properly threatened the goalkeeper, Kim Gwang-min, who was the most stable among field players, Yoo Hee-beom, who survived thanks to the strong recommendation of head coach Lee Dong-guk and coach Cho Won-hee, and Lee Jun-i, who had 12 years of early soccer experience and left an impact with his final shooting scene, 2nd place. I succeeded in advancing to the secondary audition.
Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia reporter kkk39@tenasia.co.kr