Members of Team K League participate in an opening training session at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on July 29, 2025, the eve of their match against Newcastle United. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SUWON, South Korea, July 30 (Korea Bizwire) — The top goal scorer in the South Korean league this season will get to test his mettle against a Premier League opponent on his home soil Wednesday.
Jeon Jin-woo of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will be among the starting forwards for Team K League, a squad made up of K League 1 All-Stars, in their match against Newcastle United at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of Seoul.
This match will be the first of two in this year’s Coupang Play Series, which brings popular European Clubs to South Korea for preseason matches each summer. Newcastle, the reigning English Football League Cup champions, will face UEFA Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur at 8 p.m. Sunday at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Jeon leads the K League 1 with 12 goals this year, with Jeonbuk sitting atop the tables thanks to a 20-match undefeated streak. Thanks to his breakout campaign at age 25, Jeon was among 12 players voted on to Team K League by fans.
He will be joined up front by Bruno Mota of FC Anyang, who was selected by head coach Kim Pan-gon as a reserve but got the starting nod ahead of Gwangju FC forward Jasir Asani.
Ulsan HD FC goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo, the 2024 K League 1 MVP, will start in goal. This will be his fourth consecutive Team K League appearance in the annual Coupang Play Series.
The starting defenders in front of Jo are: Eo Jeong-won of Pohang Steelers, Byun Jun-soo of Gwangju FC, Thomas Oude Kotte of FC Anyang and Park Jin-seob of Jeonbuk.
The midfielders are: Lee Dong-gyeong of Gimcheon Sangmu FC, Kim Dong-hyeon of Gangwon FC, Lee Chang-min of Jeju SK FC and Kim Jin-gyu of Jeonbuk.
Coached by Eddie Howe, Newcastle will start their new Swedish signing, Anthony Elanga, at forward, alongside Will Osula and Anthony Gordon.
Nick Pope will be in goal behind defenders Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krafth, Tino Livramento and Alex Murphy.
The midfielders are Sandro Tonali, Joe Willock and Lewis Miley.
Newcastle’s top scorer from last season, Alexander Isak, did not travel to South Korea due to a minor thigh injury. Their second leading scorer, Harvey Barnes, will be on the bench at the start, as will the usual team captain, Bruno Guimaraes.
The Magpie’s recent South Korean acquisition, the 18-year-old forward Park Seung-soo, will start the match on the bench.
At his prematch presser Tuesday, Howe said he will try to find a way to get Park into the match. Before joining Newcastle, Park had played his home matches at Suwon World Cup Stadium for Suwon Samsung Bluewings in the second-tier K League 2.
(Yonhap)
