Lee Keun-Ho
Encyclopedia
Lee Keun-ho is a South Korea
n football
player who currently plays for Japan
ese club Gamba Osaka
in the J. League Division 1.
midfielder Ha Dae-Sung
. Having played together in elementary, middle, and high school, they also played together at Daegu FC. His older brother Lee Won-Ho is coaching a local side in Incheon
.
.
After graduating Boo-Kyung high school, Lee joined his hometown club, Incheon United in 2004. However, he was surplus to requirement, and usually stayed in the reserve squad.
In 2006 season, he was nominated as the Best Player in the R-League, the Korean reserves league for Incheon Reserves.
Then, Daegu FC's manager Byun Byung-joo
signed him at the beginning of 2007 season. Newly appointed manager Byun Byung-Joo brought intensively aggressive football to Daegu, named "Bullet Football" and Lee began to claim the spotlight with his powerful dribbles.
In his first season, he came 7th in the top scorers chart, then came 5th in the 2008 season. In both seasons, he was top scoring South Korean in the league.
During his two seasons at Daegu, he quickly became the fans' favourite, and was nicknamed "Son of the Sun" since the sun is the symbol of Daegu. In his last game for Daegu, against Pohang Steelers
in the semi-final of Korean FA Cup
, he played full-time even with injury, but failed to rescue his side from a defeat.
Daegu wanted to keep Lee but Lee was willing to move to Europe, so in December 2008, Lee's contract with Daegu FC expired, meaning he became a free agent. Several European clubs showed their interest in acquiring his talents. He was offered a trial at English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers
, however he turned them down. In February 2009, it was again rumoured that Blackburn Rovers
would be interested in signing the still Free Agent
Lee Keun-ho, but again, he rejected the opportunity.
In April 2009, Lee signed for Júbilo Iwata
, on a 9 months contract. He made 6 goals and 4 assists in his first 8 league games. In June, he left the club, with some media linking him with Paris Saint-Germain in the French League 1; however, the move did not materialize. In June 2010, he signed for 2008 AFC Champions League winners Gamba Osaka
.
in Netherlands
. However, for most matches, he remained in the bench, not playing a single match in the group stage, while his team-mate Park Chu-Young
made good impressions.
Lee was confirmed in the Olympics squad in 2006, and became the most valuable player in the squad to qualify for the Olympic games.
He was selected for the 2007 Asian Cup
. He also capped for the South Korea U-23 football team in qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
On 29 June 2007, Lee Keun-ho made his A-Match debut in a friendly against Iraq
through substitution in the second half. Along with fellow teammates Yeom Ki-Hoon and Lee Chun-Soo
, Lee also managed to score his debut goal with an assist made by Lee Chun-Soo
.
On 11 October 2008, Lee Keun-ho scored two goals in an international friendly against Uzbekistan
. The game ended in a 3-0 victory for South Korea.
On 15 October 2008, Lee scored two goals in 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
against United Arab Emirates
. The game ended 4-1 for Korea.
On 19 November 2008, Lee scored the most important goal in his international career yet in an away game against Saudi Arabia
, which ended South Korea's nineteen-year spell against Saudi Arabia.
|2004
||rowspan="3"|Incheon United||rowspan="5"|K-League
||colspan="2"|-||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||1||0
|-
|2005
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|-
|2006
||2||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||colspan="2"|-||3||0
|-
|2007
||rowspan="2"|Daegu FC||20||8||2||0||7||2||colspan="2"|-||29||10
|-
|2008
||26||11||3||2||6||2||colspan="2"|-||35||15
|-
|-
|2009||rowspan="2"|Júbilo Iwata
||rowspan="4"|J. League Division 1||24||12||1||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||26||13
|-
|rowspan=2|2010
||12||1||colspan="2"|-||4||1||colspan="2"|-||16||2
|-
|rowspan="2"|Gamba Osaka
||20||4||5||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||25||5
|-
|2011
||31||13|| || ||colspan="2"|-||7||2||38||15
48||19||7||2||19||4||colspan="2"|-||74||25
86||30||6||2||5||1||7||2||104||35
134||49||13||4||24||5||7||2||178||60
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player who currently plays for Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese club Gamba Osaka
Gamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70...
in the J. League Division 1.
Personal life
Lee Keun-ho is well known for his friendship with Jeonbuk HyundaiJeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are a professional football club based in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, South Korea. They won their first K-League title in 2009. Prior to this, the club won the AFC Champions League title in 2006, becoming the first club from East Asia to win the tournament since the AFC Champions...
midfielder Ha Dae-Sung
Ha Dae-Sung
Ha Dae-Sung is a South Korean football player who currently plays for FC Seoul.His previous club is Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i, Daegu FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.-Club career:He made his debut at K-League in Daegu FC in 2006...
. Having played together in elementary, middle, and high school, they also played together at Daegu FC. His older brother Lee Won-Ho is coaching a local side in Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
.
Club career
Lee Keun-ho played for Boo-Kyung High School as a teenager, lifting three trophies with Kim Seung-Yong, now playing for Gamba OsakaGamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70...
.
After graduating Boo-Kyung high school, Lee joined his hometown club, Incheon United in 2004. However, he was surplus to requirement, and usually stayed in the reserve squad.
In 2006 season, he was nominated as the Best Player in the R-League, the Korean reserves league for Incheon Reserves.
Then, Daegu FC's manager Byun Byung-joo
Byun Byung-Joo
Byun Byung-Joo was a South Korean football player. He was the appointed manager of Daegu FC in 2006, before resigning in December 2009.- Club career statistics :-International goals:-External links:...
signed him at the beginning of 2007 season. Newly appointed manager Byun Byung-Joo brought intensively aggressive football to Daegu, named "Bullet Football" and Lee began to claim the spotlight with his powerful dribbles.
In his first season, he came 7th in the top scorers chart, then came 5th in the 2008 season. In both seasons, he was top scoring South Korean in the league.
During his two seasons at Daegu, he quickly became the fans' favourite, and was nicknamed "Son of the Sun" since the sun is the symbol of Daegu. In his last game for Daegu, against Pohang Steelers
Pohang Steelers
Pohang Steelers are a South Korean professional football club based in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do. They were originally called POSCO, after the Pohang Iron and Steel Company that owned it...
in the semi-final of Korean FA Cup
Korean FA Cup
The Korean FA Cup is a national cup knockout competition involving K-League, National League, and various amateur and university-level clubs which is held by KFA....
, he played full-time even with injury, but failed to rescue his side from a defeat.
Daegu wanted to keep Lee but Lee was willing to move to Europe, so in December 2008, Lee's contract with Daegu FC expired, meaning he became a free agent. Several European clubs showed their interest in acquiring his talents. He was offered a trial at English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, however he turned them down. In February 2009, it was again rumoured that Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
would be interested in signing the still Free Agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
Lee Keun-ho, but again, he rejected the opportunity.
In April 2009, Lee signed for Júbilo Iwata
Júbilo Iwata
is a professional Japanese association football team currently playing in the J. League Division 1 . The team name Júbilo means 'joy' in Portuguese and Spanish. The team's home town is Iwata, Shizuoka prefecture and they play at Yamaha Stadium...
, on a 9 months contract. He made 6 goals and 4 assists in his first 8 league games. In June, he left the club, with some media linking him with Paris Saint-Germain in the French League 1; however, the move did not materialize. In June 2010, he signed for 2008 AFC Champions League winners Gamba Osaka
Gamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70...
.
International career
Lee was selected for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in The Netherlands between 10 June and 2 July 2005. The 2005 championship was the 15th contested.- Venues :- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship...
in Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. However, for most matches, he remained in the bench, not playing a single match in the group stage, while his team-mate Park Chu-Young
Park Chu-Young
Park Chu-Young is a South Korean footballer who plays for Arsenal in the Premier League and is the current captain for the South Korea national team.-Youth career:...
made good impressions.
Lee was confirmed in the Olympics squad in 2006, and became the most valuable player in the squad to qualify for the Olympic games.
He was selected for the 2007 Asian Cup
2007 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi...
. He also capped for the South Korea U-23 football team in qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
On 29 June 2007, Lee Keun-ho made his A-Match debut in a friendly against Iraq
Iraq national football team
The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...
through substitution in the second half. Along with fellow teammates Yeom Ki-Hoon and Lee Chun-Soo
Lee Chun-Soo
Lee Chun-Soo is a football player from South Korea, who currently plays for Omiya Ardija. He was a key member of his national team during the 2002 World Cup and the 2004 Summer Olympics...
, Lee also managed to score his debut goal with an assist made by Lee Chun-Soo
Lee Chun-Soo
Lee Chun-Soo is a football player from South Korea, who currently plays for Omiya Ardija. He was a key member of his national team during the 2002 World Cup and the 2004 Summer Olympics...
.
On 11 October 2008, Lee Keun-ho scored two goals in an international friendly against Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan national football team
The Uzbekistan national football team represents Uzbekistan in association football and is controlled by the Uzbekistan Football Federation, the governing body for football in Uzbekistan...
. The game ended in a 3-0 victory for South Korea.
On 15 October 2008, Lee scored two goals in 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
The Asian Football Confederation was allocated four assured qualifying berths for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and one place in a play-off. 43 teams were in the running for these spots; Laos, Brunei and the Philippines did not attempt to qualify...
against United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates national football team
The United Arab Emirates national football team represents United Arab Emirates in association football and is controlled by the United Arab Emirates Football Association, the governing body for football in United Arab Emirates...
. The game ended 4-1 for Korea.
On 19 November 2008, Lee scored the most important goal in his international career yet in an away game against Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
, which ended South Korea's nineteen-year spell against Saudi Arabia.
Club career statistics
|-|2004
K-League 2004
The 2004 season of the K-League kicked off on April 3. The league's previous single-season format was replaced by a separated twice 12-game split-season schedule. Each team will play 12 matches consisting of a home or away fixture against every other team in each stage...
||rowspan="3"|Incheon United||rowspan="5"|K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
||colspan="2"|-||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||1||0
|-
|2005
K-League 2005
The 2005 season of the K-League kicked off on May 15. The season and playoff format will be the same as the one used in the 2004 season. The playoff fixtures are set to take place in late November and early December....
||colspan="2"|-||1||0||5||0||colspan="2"|-||6||0
|-
|2006
K-League 2006
The 2006 season of the K-League kicked off on March 12. The season and playoff format will be the same as the one used in the 2005 season. The playoff fixtures are set to take place in early November, with the Final being played on two legs in late November....
||2||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||colspan="2"|-||3||0
|-
|2007
K-League 2007
The 2007 season of the K-League kicked off on March 3. The league's previous split-season format was replaced by a combined 26-game single-season schedule. Each team will play 26 matches consisting of a home and away fixture against every other team. After all games have been played, the top 6...
||rowspan="2"|Daegu FC||20||8||2||0||7||2||colspan="2"|-||29||10
|-
|2008
K-League 2008
The 2008 season of the K-League kicked off on March 8. The season and playoff format will be the same as the one used in the 2007 season. The playoff fixtures are set to take place in late November, with the Final being played on two legs in early December....
||26||11||3||2||6||2||colspan="2"|-||35||15
|-
|-
|2009||rowspan="2"|Júbilo Iwata
Júbilo Iwata
is a professional Japanese association football team currently playing in the J. League Division 1 . The team name Júbilo means 'joy' in Portuguese and Spanish. The team's home town is Iwata, Shizuoka prefecture and they play at Yamaha Stadium...
||rowspan="4"|J. League Division 1||24||12||1||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||26||13
|-
|rowspan=2|2010
2010 J. League Division 1
The 2010 J. League Division 1 season was the 46th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 18th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season began on March 6 and ended on December 4....
||12||1||colspan="2"|-||4||1||colspan="2"|-||16||2
|-
|rowspan="2"|Gamba Osaka
Gamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70...
||20||4||5||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||25||5
|-
|2011
2011 J. League Division 1
The 2011 J. League Division 1 season is the 46th season of Japanese top flight football and 19th since the establishment of the J. League. The season began on March 5 and is scheduled to end on December 3, with a planned five-week summer break between June 27–July 29 in order to allow preparation...
||31||13|| || ||colspan="2"|-||7||2||38||15
48||19||7||2||19||4||colspan="2"|-||74||25
86||30||6||2||5||1||7||2||104||35
134||49||13||4||24||5||7||2||178||60
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 29, 2007 | Seogwipo Seogwipo Seogwipo is a city in Jeju Province, South Korea with a pre-2008 estimated population of 155,000 inhabitants. In July, 2006, Seogwipo city was expanded to include the entire southern half of Jeju island. In 2002, it was one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup.-Climate:-External links:*... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
3-0 | 3-0 | Friendly match | |
| 2 | October 11, 2008 | Suwon Suwon Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety".... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
2-0 | 3-0 | Friendly match | |
| 3 | October 11, 2008 | Suwon Suwon Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety".... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
3-0 | 3-0 | Friendly match | |
| 4 | October 15, 2008 | Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
1-0 | 4-1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - AFC Fourth Round The AFC Fourth Round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification was decided by a random draw conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 27 June 2008. The round commenced on 6 September 2008, and finished on 17 June 2009.... |
|
| 5 | October 15, 2008 | Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
3-1 | 4-1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - AFC Fourth Round The AFC Fourth Round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification was decided by a random draw conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 27 June 2008. The round commenced on 6 September 2008, and finished on 17 June 2009.... |
|
| 6 | November 19, 2008 | Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a... , Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World... |
0-1 | 0-2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - AFC Fourth Round The AFC Fourth Round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification was decided by a random draw conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 27 June 2008. The round commenced on 6 September 2008, and finished on 17 June 2009.... |
|
| 7 | February 4, 2009 | Dubai Dubai Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi... , United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a... |
2-2 | 2-2 | Friendly match | |
| 8 | March 28, 2009 | Suwon Suwon Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety".... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
2-1 | 2-1 | Friendly match | |
| 9 | March 25, 2011 | Seoul Seoul World Cup Stadium The Seoul World Cup Stadium, also known as Sangam Stadium, is located in Seongsan, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and opened in 2001. It was designed to represent the image of a traditional Korean kite... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
4-0 | 4-0 | Friendly match | |
| 10 | November 11, 2011 | Dubai Dubai Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi... , United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a... |
0-1 | 0-2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Third Round This page provides the summaries of the AFC Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:In this round the fifteen winners from the second round joined the five AFC sides seeded 1–5 in the AFC World Cup rankings... |