Stoke's Bae Jun-ho gets assist in 3-0 win over Plymouth with two games to go

Stoke City midfielder Bae Jun-ho [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Stoke City midfielder Bae Jun-ho recorded his sixth assist of the 2023-24 season in his side’s 3-0 win over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

Playing the full 90 minutes as a winger in the Championship match at Bet365 Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England, Bae assisted a Million Manhoef goal in stoppage time before the halftime whistle, putting Stoke up 2-0 after the opener by Ki-Jana Hoever in the 43rd minute.

Wouter Burger then added one more goal in the 93rd minute, sealing the team’s 3-0 victory. The win was Stoke’s first win since they beat Hull City 2-0 on March 29, when Bae picked up his fifth assist of the season.

The 20-year-old has played as a regular pick at Stoke since he joined the club from K League 1 side Daejeon Hana Citizen in August last year, having recorded two goals and six assists for Stoke so far.

Bae's impact for Stoke has been clear, as manager Steven Schumacher did not release him for the ongoing AFC U-23 Asian Cup. Korea must finish in the top three to earn a direct ticket to the Paris Olympics this summer.

The Asian Cup does not run during a FIFA international break and comes during the final phase of multiple seasons in Europe, and European clubs may not be keen on losing a player as they vie to avoid relegation.

The bottom three Championship teams face relegation to the third division each year, with Stoke sitting in 17th place on the 24-team table with 50 points as of press time Sunday.

Stoke can still face relegation, however, as the club has two fixtures left and 23rd-placed Sheffield Wednesday, who have 44 points, have three matches remaining.

Stoke will next face Southampton on April 27 and play the final league game against Bristol City on May 4.

Bae’s U-23 national squad teammates, meanwhile, will play the final group stage match in the Asian Cup against Japan in Qatar on Monday, with both sides having locked in quarterfinal spots.

Earning a place in the Olympics is crucial for Korea, as winning a bronze medal or higher at the Games will grant the squad military exemption that could otherwise interfere with their careers.

Bae will need service exemption to purse his career in Europe uninterrupted and move on to greener pastures.

Players like Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min — who earned exemption through winning a 2018 Asian Games gold medal — were able to shine in Europe after becoming exempt.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]