Yang Hyun-joon, 22, who plays for Scottish professional soccer’s Celtic, has been in fine form with back-to-back assists. Look for him to spearhead the attack against Thailand in the second Asian qualifier for the 2026 North American Championship.
Celtic defeated Dundee 7-1 at home in the 28th round of the 2023-2024 Scottish Premiership at Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday (Sept. 29).
With 21 wins, 5 draws, and 2 losses, Celtic, in second place in the league with 68 points, maintained their lead over first-place Rangers (70 points).
Yang Hyun-joon started at right back on the night. In the 18th minute of the first half, when the score was 1-0, Yang played a pass to teammate Alistair Johnston, who assisted Adam Ida’s header with a cross.
Six minutes into second-half stoppage time, Yang set up the team’s sixth goal. Yang made a spectacular dribbling run before crossing into the box, where Callum McGregor exchanged passes with his teammate before finishing.
Yang assisted on the team’s seventh goal. He sent a pinpoint cross from the flank into the box, where Daniel Kelly found the top corner of the net with a right-footed shot. Celtic led 7-0.
It was the second consecutive game that Yang, who recorded an assist in the previous match against Motherwell on Sept. 25, has recorded an assist. He now has one goal and three assists on the season.
Yang was substituted for Luis Palma in the 31st minute of the second half.
The European ratings were also favorable, with soccer statistics site FútbolScore.com giving him an 8.7 rating, the fourth-highest on the team. Footmob gave him an 8.2 rating, 스포츠토토 the sixth highest on the team, and Sofascore gave him a 7.7 rating, the sixth highest on the team.
Yang’s performance is good news for the national team as they prepare for a two-game series against Thailand in the second Asian qualifier for the North American Championship.
Interim coach Hwang Sun-hong’s squad has been embroiled in a post-Asian Cup turmoil in Qatar. Lee Kang-in is in doubt after a physical altercation with captain Son Heung-min. In addition, Hwang Hee-chan suffered a thigh injury in the FA Cup round of 16 on Sept. 29.
With Lee Kang-in and Hwang Hee-chan struggling on the flanks at the Asian Cup, it’s possible that Yang Hyun-joon could get a chance. Yang came off the bench in the Asian Cup quarterfinals against Australia and the semifinals against Jordan.
The roster for the two-game series against Thailand will be announced on Nov. 11. The games against Thailand will be held in Seoul on Nov. 21 and Bangkok on Nov. 26. South Korea is in first place in Group C with two wins and six points from two matches, while Thailand is second with one win, one loss and three points.