Is there a better player than Joo Se-Jong (Daejeon Hana Citizen) at this position?
Joo Se-jong is currently the best defensive midfielder 메이저놀이터 in the K-League 1. He led the team’s promotion last year with play that dominated the K League 2 and promotion playoffs. Even in the first division, his competitiveness is still there. He showed excellent performance in the 1st and 2nd rounds, and suffered an orbital fracture injury, but returned and led Daejeon’s 2-1 victory in the 7th round against Ulsan Hyundai. Due to his injury, he was away for over a month, and he played full-time even though he played while wearing a protective mask because his face was still not in perfect condition.
Although he was born in 1990 and has turned 34 years old, Ju Se-jong’s performance is still at the highest level. In particular, his skills as a playmaker leading the game right in front of the defensive line are better than before. He has mastered skillful management, accurate passing at any distance, and leadership to lead the team. Its presence is so certain that there is a saying that it is the ‘body’ of Daejeon soccer, or half of its power.
Because of this, the soccer world gives an opinion that Ju Se-jong can go to the national team right away. Daejeon coach Lee Min-seong also said, “If you look at his skills, there is no doubt. I think he is at the level of a representative player,” he said.
Joo Se-jong said, “I think I want to continue playing for the national team until I retire,” but added, “But there are so many good players. I think that if I focus on my team and work hard, I will be called someday.”
Currently, the position of defensive midfielder in the national team is classified as a vulnerable position. In the days of former coach Paulo Bento, the big Jung Woo-young was favored, but compared to other positions, the weight is definitely less. Ju Se-jong, who also attended the 2018 Russia World Cup, can be an alternative to bring competition for this position. It is not too much to return to the national team as he has enough skills to maintain until the Asian Cup next year.
Coach Doo-Ri Cha and coach Michael Kim watched the match between Daejeon and Ulsan on the spot. If he maintains his current performance until the next call (June), Joo Se-jong may return to the national team after a long time.
First of all, as Joo Sejong said, his first goal is to keep Daejeon on the rise. Joo Se-jong said, “I can’t really see because of the mask.” I would have helped my juniors and friends to play more comfortably, but it’s a pity that I couldn’t. I think I will have to spend two or three more games in the future,” he said, adding that it is important to recover as quickly as possible.
He continued, “I gained confidence. I feel that our players are also developing and growing. It’s the beginning of the season now, so we have to lead the team to do better.”