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Kim Ji-soo scores first German goal in 7-0 win over RSV Eintracht

Published: 18 Aug. 2025, 15:59 Updated: 18 Aug. 2025, 21:04

FC Kaiserslautern center-back Kim Ji-soo [SCREEN CAPTURE]

FC Kaiserslautern center-back Kim Ji-soo scored his first goal in Europe in his side's 7-0 rout of fifth-division side RSV Eintracht in the DFB-Pokal at Karl-Liebknecht-Stadion in Potsdam on Sunday.

Kim headed in the team's third goal from a corner, marking his first goal contribution since he started his career in Europe in 2023.

The goal comes in his third appearance for the 2. Bundesliga club, which he joined on loan from Premier League team Brentford ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

Kim, 20, started his career in Europe with Brentford in July 2023 but spent the entire 2023-24 season with their B team. He was promoted to the first team in the summer of 2024 and made his senior debut in a Carabao Cup match against Leyton Orient on Sept. 17, 2024, before becoming the youngest Korean player to appear in a Premier League match at 20 in a fixture against Brighton & Hove Alibion on Dec. 27 of the same year.

But he did not feature as a regular pick during the 2024-25 season, with only 11 appearances across all competitions, prompting him to transfer in search of more playing time.

Kim's departure to Germany this summer has left the Premier League with zero Korean defenders, although the league still has Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Hwang Hee-chan and Newcastle United's new signee Park Seung-soo.

Kim's performance in the 2. Bundesliga this season could determine whether he makes the final roster for the 2026 Asian Games, where he could earn a mandatory military service exemption by winning a gold medal.

Failing to win an Asiad gold medal would blow his first chance for military service exemption, although he could also earn it by winning a bronze medal at the 2028 Olympics.

FC Kaiserslautern picked up one win and one loss in the opening two league games and will play their next fixture against SV Elversberg on Friday.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]