The national team’s main defender Kim Young-kwon, who is in charge of Ulsan Hyundai’s rear, turned out to be the most efficient player in the K-League 1 pass in April.
In the K-League 1 April packing (pass) data ‘TOP 5’ released by the Korea Professional Football Federation on the 15th, Kim Young-kwon took first place.

During the month of April, Kim Young-kwon played 6 K-League 1 matches, and the number of successful passes was 379 in total. A total of 665 players were knocked out by this pass. The average packing was 1.76.

The second place is Lee Yong (Suwon FC). He recorded 491 packing with 307 successful passes. They were followed by Grant (Pohang, Packing 473), Timo (Gwangju, Packing 425), and Lee Kyu-seong (Ulsan, Packing 391).

The packing (pass) index is an indicator of the efficiency of the pass. When a pass reaches a teammate, it refers to the number of opponents knocked out by that pass. This is why there are many names of defenders at the top of the packing (pass) index.

Defenders are more likely to attempt mid-to-long passes than their predecessors. The longer the distance, the more likely it is to outrun a relatively large number of players.

In the packing index divided by activity section, Kim Young-kwon ranked first in the defense area and midfield, respectively. The packing index was higher in the midfield (packing 404, passing 208) than in the defensive area (packing 216, pass 160). This means that the number of successful passes from midfield was higher and the number of opponents who were beaten with those passes was higher.

Kim Young-kwon also ranked first in the packing (pass) index for medium-distance passes (15m to 30m) and long-distance passes (more than 30m). She had a Pak of 308 for the medium pass and a Pak of 177 for the long pass. Kim Young-gwon’s long-distance pass packing index averaged 4.12. She was able to knock out about four opponents with one long pass.

Kim Young-kwon is a central defender who usually stays in the back. However, his role is not simple. He supports the team’s offense with passes and leads the build-up football. Kim Young-kwon’s advance beyond the defensive area is itself a weapon to press the opponent. He increases his attack efficiency with his elaborate passing. Ulsan’s style, which is strong against build-up and counterattack, matches his movement.

He is also faithful to his main job, defense. With a smooth reading, he is contributing to the team’s minimum run in the league. It is the nucleus of the Ulsan conversion play. This is one of the reasons Ulsan, who became a defender from a title challenger, became a stronger team than last season.

The player with the highest pass efficiency in the final third (attack area) was Lee Jin-hyeon (Daejeon). Lee Jin-hyun made 73 successful passes in the attack area. This pass had the effect of beating 121 opponents. He is the only K-League 1 player to have a three-digit score. He was the player who shook the opponent with the most threatening penetration or pass in the attacking area. It also matches the style of Lee Jin-hyun, whose main weapon is a flashing penetration play and a sharp left-footed kick.

Jeju midfielder Lee Chang-min’s record in the same area also draws attention. Lee Chang-min finished third in the area with a packing 93 with only 29 passes. 메이저놀이터 His average packing was the highest at 3.21. This is about 1.6 higher than Lee Jin-hyun (1.66).

Seol Young-woo (Ulsan, Packing 95) took second place, and Lee Kyu-seong (Ulsan, Packing 85) and Lee Yong (Suwon FC, Packing 84) took 4th and 5th place, respectively.

Gimcheon, which boasts a solid history, is especially lined with high-quality midfielders such as Won Doo-jae, Lee Young-jae, and Kim Jin-gyu. Their performance was supported by packing data.

Won Doo-jae played 6 games for a month in April, and took first place in the overall packing with 312 successful passes and 534 packings. The second place was also Lee Young-jae of Gimcheon, and the packing was 493. Jo Wi-je (Busan, Packing 456) came in 3rd, Lee Jae-Ik (Seoul E, Packing 420) in 4th place, and Yoo Hei (Jeonnam, Packing 379) in 5th place.

Even in terms of region and distance, Gimcheon players took the top spot in most of the categories. In the final third area, Kim Jin-gyu made 81 passes and had the highest packing with 139. In long-distance passes, Won Doo-jae was first with 41 successful passes and 209 packings.