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Team K League coach impressed with homegrown players' football IQ, talent

Published: 31 Jul. 2025, 11:53

Team K League manager Kim Pan-gon, center, instructs his players during a Coupang Play Series match against Newcastle at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on July 30. [YONHAP]

With his squad of Korean league All-Stars defeating the Premier League side Newcastle United 1-0 in a friendly Wednesday night, head coach Kim Pan-gon came away duly impressed with his players' intelligence and talent.

Kim, as head coach of the defending K League 1 champions Ulsan HD, was in charge of Team K League, made up of players selected by fans and coaching staff. For the first half of the contest at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi, Kim used nine Korean players, with most of the foreign-born stars coming off the bench after the restart.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward Kim Jin-gyu scored what turned out to be the match's lone goal in the 36th minute. After withstanding some early pressure from Newcastle, Team K League seized control and created some dangerous looks in the box.

Coach Kim marveled at his players' ability to execute his plans after just one day of training together.

"We only had yesterday to explain our game plans to the team and did a brief rehearsal, and the players did an excellent job," Kim said. "I realized just how smart and talented our Korean players are. Newcastle applied really good pressure early, but our players handled that really well. That's one of the strengths for our Korean players."

Many of the homegrown stars picked for Team K League are also vying for spots on the FIFA World Cup squad for next year, and Kim said Wednesday's match can only help them going forward.

"I think they must have been really encouraged by the way they played today. This must have been a big confidence boost," Kim added. "I hope they can make the World Cup and play at an even higher level there."

The match was part of the annual Coupang Play Series, which brings European clubs here for preseason matches. Newcastle will next play Tottenham Hotspur in Seoul on Sunday. Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have also played in Korea.

"It's a privilege for K League players to have a chance to face top European clubs," Kim said. "I hope these players will get to play more of these matches in the future."

Yonhap