Ulsan HD striker Eom Won-sang (25) will fight against himself in the new year.
This is because the injured part of last year, when he won the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, is still holding his ankle. Um Won-sang is very busy with taping (a treatment method to fix the injury) from the beginning to the end of his daily life. His right ankle is often plastered with white tape when he has training or practice matches. His ball handling skills are limited as much as he ties it with tape, but he has no choice but to avoid worsening injury. "Taping is my friend now," he told reporters in Kagoshima, Japan, a training site in Ulsan. "I have no choice but to do it until my injury is healed. Still, I have no setbacks. I am still young." Um Won-sang's smile shows his confidence to overcome his nightmare in 2023. In June last year, he partially injured his right ankle ligament due to his opponent's rough foul in an away match in China. Immediately after the injury, some hospitals recommended Um Won-sang take the operating table, but he chose rehabilitation and returned to the ground after about a month. He also dramatically participated in the Hangzhou Asian Games and won a gold medal. Um Won-sang said, "I was honestly surprised because I had no relationship with injuries during my career," adding, "I played with hope because there is a way to play without putting a knife on my body. The confidence that 'I overcame it' makes me run again this year." Um Won-sang's determination is confirmed in his changed leisure time. If there is a place where you can hang a band, you can hang it on your ankles and pull it to strengthen your muscles. "I always hang it on the table every time I eat. I don't want to find an excuse for myself. I like to do my best at any given time," he said. Colleagues and coaching staff have also changed their viewpoints. Ulsan manager Hong Myung-bo, who is now in his mid-20s, has appointed him as the new vice-captain of Ulsan in 2024. Um Won-sang said, "I'm most happy that the coach praised me for being 'humanized' in the winter training," adding, "Honestly, there are a lot of shortcomings when I think about my performance last year. If I do well with some orders this year, I will be able to revive again." Um Won-sang believes that fighting against him is a shortcut to grades. In his personal performance, regaining "double-digit attack points" is a priority. Last year, Um Won-sang was selected as the best eleven in the K League 1 with four goals and four assists, but he was not so satisfied that he did not prepare for his acceptance speech. "I always think that the benchmark for an individual's performance is 10 offensive points. Shouldn't we do that?" Um said. "I want to overcome the burden of winning three consecutive games. I want to get compliments from fans that Ulsan is the best soccer team this year as well." "This year's first start is the round of 16 in the Asian Champions League (ACL), and I want to do well in this tournament as well. I already experienced how difficult the tournament is at last year's Asian Games," he added. For Um Won-sang, his 2024 performance is also in line with the European challenge. I know better than anyone that depending on what kind of performance he performs, he can raise the interest of European teams, which had been fading for a while. Considering that Seol Young-woo, a teammate, has raised his stock price even in the position of a side defender, there is an opportunity. "It has been my dream to play in Europe since I started playing as a soccer player," Um said. "If I do well this year, I will definitely have a chance. I want to achieve my dream by showing a performance that fans can acknowledge."