TV
Kim Nam-il's Fiery Outburst: 'Let's Disband' After Another Defeat
On the 11th episode of JTBC's variety show 'Come Together to Kick 4' (hereafter 'Kick 4'), aired on the 15th, Kim Nam-il's 'Saksri UTD' faced off against Lee Dong-gook's 'Lion Hearts FC' in the second round. 'Lion Hearts FC', which had only lost to 'Saksri UTD' in the first round, secured a 1-0 victory, marking their third consecutive win. Meanwhile, 'Saksri UTD', still winless, fell deeper into despair.
Before the first match of the second round, an emergency player draft was held. Actor Lee Chan-hyung, E'LAST's Won Hyuk, model Kang Ri-han, and The Wind's Choi Han-bin participated in the draft. Lee Chan-hyung, known as 'Little Ahn Jung-hwan' for playing the same position as the legendary player, showcased his skills with dribbling, shooting, and the 'Ahn-neu Turn', proving his solid fundamentals.
Won Hyuk, who played as a substitute for Kim Soo-gyeom in 'Saksri UTD', expressed his desire to stay with the team, earning the nickname 'Kim Nam-il's son'. He impressed with strong tackles and a spirited scissor kick reminiscent of Kim Nam-il's playing days. Kang Ri-han, who plays in the same amateur team as 'FC Fantasy Star' ace Guevara, showed confidence with precise crosses and caught the coaches' attention.
In the draft results, Coach Kim Nam-il chose to retain Won Hyuk, who had previously played with the team, and welcomed back Kim Soo-gyeom from injury, raising expectations. He aimed for a turnaround by placing fast players Serim and Park Seung-hoon as the front two. On the other hand, Coach Lee Dong-gook recruited the youngest player, Choi Han-bin, and surprisingly started Moon Ji-hoo, who had been diligent in training despite being the last pick.
As the match began, the midfield battle was intense, and in the third minute, Lee Yong-woo scored the opening goal from a sharp pass by Kim Jin-jja. Lee Yong-woo, recording his second league goal, received praise from both Lee Dong-gook and the commentators. The goal resulted from a communication error between goalkeeper Noh Ji-hoon and the returning Kim Soo-gyeom. Kim Soo-gyeom, shaken throughout the match, blamed himself, and 'Saksri UTD', in their haste, saw their teamwork crumble.
During halftime, an enraged Kim Nam-il threw a stopwatch in front of the players, expressing his anger. Witnessing 'Batta's Fury', the players promised to press aggressively and communicate better. Kim Nam-il also encouraged them, saying, "Don't give up. We can catch up."
However, the second half saw no change in momentum. The 'Lion Hearts FC' continued their offensive, and 'Saksri UTD' faced another own-goal scare due to a defensive error by Choi Woong-hee. Fortunately, the goal was disallowed for offside, but it wasn't enough to change the atmosphere.
In the dying moments of the match, 'Saksri UTD' squandered their last corner kick opportunity due to a set-piece communication error, resulting in a 0-1 defeat. Park Seung-hoon expressed his disappointment, saying, "We had prepared the set play during training, but it ended weakly due to poor communication."
With this victory, 'Lion Hearts FC' achieved a win against every team, starting the second round with 10 points. In contrast, 'Saksri UTD' remained winless, hanging their heads in defeat.
After the match, in the silent locker room, Kim Nam-il expressed his frustration, saying, "It's not that you can't do what we practiced in training, but that you don't do it," and even suggested, "Let's disband," leaving everyone in shock. The question remains: how far will 'Lion Hearts FC's dominance go, and how will 'Saksri UTD' change after this match? The future of both teams is eagerly anticipated.
Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr
