Pohang Steelers are unbeaten in the K League 1 so far in 2023. They started the season with back-to-back wins and then were held to a draw in the next two matches. Pohang Steelers finished third in the league last season. This season, they will be looking for a better finish. One of the players who can play a key role in this quest is their 22-year-old striker Lee Ho-Jae. The forward is in his third season at the club but has failed to get regular game time. This season, he has played a key role in keeping his side unbeaten in the league. The super sub is forcing his manager to start him in the upcoming matches. We now look at some of the stats of the 22-year-old that show why this super sub deserves more game time.
The impact from the bench
Lee Ho-Jae has featured in every league game this season. He has spent 66 minutes on the field and scored three goals.
The centre forward played a key role in his side’s 3-2 win in the first match over Daegu. Lee came off the bench and scored a brace in just 18 minutes to take his side over the line. He then came off the bench in the last match and scored a goal in just eight minutes. This goal earned a draw for his side towards the end of the match. In these four matches, the striker has taken eight touches inside the opposition penalty box. The striker has attempted six shots and four have been on target. He has scored all the goals from the right side.
Lee Ho-Jae is usually introduced towards the end of the match. As a striker the player gets limited gametime on the ball. Lee likes to drift a bit to the left. He has attempted 17 passes in the current season, and nine have been successfully completed. The above viz shows the passes delivered by the 22-year-old. It can be observed that two forward passes have been successfully delivered, and both passes found a teammate inside the penalty box. Given more gametime, the youngster might help his teammate score a goal.
Lee has the confidence to dribble past his opponents and his ability to hold the ball has earned his side five free-kicks this season. The youngster has attempted five dribbles and two were successful. He has won five fouls and three were won just outside the penalty box.
Massive improvement from the last season
Last season the youngster only spent 222 minutes on the field. He scored only one goal from six shot attempts. Lee Ho-Jae was struggling with gametime and only 14 minutes per match in 22 appearances. This season things have been different and Lee has played a key role in his side’s unbeaten run.
Betting analysis
As per the 1×2 betting odds, the odds for Pohang Steelers will be slightly get affected if Lee is introduced to the starting 11. The over lines might also thrive if Lee gets more gametime.
Lee Ho-Jae is questioning his managers playing 11. His impact from the bench is likely to earn him more starts in the upcoming matches. The super sub will hope that this season turns out to be a breakthrough for him and that he becomes a regular number nine for his side.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
