Seol Young-woo (25), a side defender who was also chosen by the national soccer team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, is a ‘hidden hero’ in Ulsan Hyundai’s five-game winning streak since the opening of the K-League 1.
Seol Young-woo, who is in his 4th year as a pro this season, is considered the best resource to solve the ‘fullback famine’ in Korean soccer. In fact, he was selected as a substitute for Kim Jin-soo, who was injured ahead of the game against Uruguay on the 28th, the second game after Klinsman took office as the head coach of the Korean national team, and even wore the national team Taegeuk mark for the first time in his career.
Seol Young-woo showed remarkable growth after coach Hong Myung-bo took the 온라인바카라Ulsan baton in 2021. Originally playing as a striker, he switched to fullback after his professional debut. As much as he is, he is also the player who is the most scolded by coach Hong.
However, in the great trust of coach Hong, Seol Young-woo was reborn as Ulsan’s most trusted fullback and national team resource.
Seol Young-woo’s greatest strength is that he cleverly reads the flow of the game in all areas of the offense and defense and performs linked play. He is especially good at covering and penetrating space. Defensive resources such as Park Yong-woo, Kim Young-kwon, and Jung Seung-hyun also feel comfortable playing with Seol Young-woo.
Naturally, Seol Young-woo also actively goes on the attack and does his part. This season, he is first in the category with 74 passes in the offensive area. ‘Top 5’ includes Kim Do-hyeok (Incheon, 73), Lee Jin-hyeon (Daejeon, 71), Ko Seung-beom (65, Suwon Samsung), and Shin Jin-ho (64, Incheon). Except for Seol Young-woo, everyone is a midfielder. Despite his fullback position, he creates several chances in the attacking area. On the 19th of last month, he even scored a goal against Suwon FC (3-0 win).
Coach Hong puts Seol Young-woo in a higher position than other fullbacks and makes full use of his offensive and defensive talents. In the match against Jeju United (3-1 win) on the 2nd, Seol Young-woo was used as the right fullback instead of the left, and it worked. Seol Young-woo, his right-footer, catches opponents off guard with various positioning on the left. On the other hand, if he plays from the right, he has the advantage of supplying the pass at a faster timing in the final area. In a word, he can use both the left and right sides depending on the opponent and the game situation.
In addition, Seol Young-woo is called the universal key to stand as a striker or defensive midfielder. He is not a player who receives a flashy spotlight in every game, but he has grown into a key resource indispensable to Ulsan.