Suwon Samsung’s Lee Sang-min (19) had a bitter experience against Ulsan Hyundai on Nov. 21. He failed to clear the ball out of the penalty box in the 34th minute and fouled Ulsan’s Seol Young-woo in the process, conceding a penalty kick. Ulsan striker Martin Adam converted and Suwon lost 2-3 to Ulsan.
Afterward, his teammates came up to him one by one to console him. After being substituted, Lee knelt by the bench and prayed fervently. After the loss, he broke down in tears. Lee was not included in the roster for the 2023 FA Cup round of 16 against Daegu FC at Suwon World Cup Stadium on April 24. He watched the game with his teammates from the stands.
Speaking to us from the stands, Lee said, “It was a situation I can’t describe in words. I didn’t look at my phone for a long time after the game. I didn’t hear from my family. I didn’t see my phone until a day later. I didn’t even realize I was crying on my knees. I felt so sorry for the team, my brothers, and the fans. We did a good job preparing for the game, and we did a good job playing the game. I feel like (the penalty) was a stroke of bad luck, so I can’t describe how hard it was.”
Suwon fans sent Lee long messages. All of them were sympathetic. On the same day, Suwon fans also hung a hanging that read, “Suwon’s 29 doesn’t kneel down.” “I read all the messages,” said Lee Sang-min, “but I feel a little better now. I didn’t get to see the hanging, but I received a lot of messages about it. I just want to give back to them for their support. It would be more apologetic to the fans if I showed that I was struggling. What’s done is done. I will continue to prepare well. Even if I can’t play, I’ll do my best to support them from behind. If I get the chance, I will do better,” he vowed.
The only thing on his mind is Suwon. “The team 먹튀검증 is more important than me. Every game is important to my team right now. I am contributing to the team even a little bit. I don’t think I can take responsibility for saying, ‘I’m going to score a goal’ or ‘I’m going to provide an assist.’ Even after a few days, my brothers told me, ‘It’s okay. It’s all experience,” they say. I think that’s what you do in my position, to go the extra mile, even when you can’t see it. That’s what my brothers would want. I’m going to play hard and not give up. I’m going to do my best to help the team,” he reiterated.