Kick back, relax and tune in to some sport this Chuseok

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Kick back, relax and tune in to some sport this Chuseok

Published: 11 Sep. 2024, 14:20 Updated: 11 Sep. 2024, 17:26

PAIK JI-HWAN
paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min celebrates scoring during a Premier League match against Everton in London on Aug. 24. [EPA/YONHAP]

With the Chuseok holiday this year extending for up to five days, there's plenty of time to kick back, relax and tune your TV to the sports channels.

The long break — the Chuseok holiday proper running from next Monday to Wednesday — provides plenty of viewing opportunities, with a double helping of European football on the cards for fans that are willing to risk a late night or two.

The action starts this weekend, with Kim Min-jae's Bayern Munich taking on Holstein Kiel on Saturday on the back of two wins in their first two league matches this season.

Kim started both league games this season under new manager Vincent Kompany after being sidelined in the second half of last season under then-boss Thomas Tuchel.

Freiburg's Merlin Roehl, left, and Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae vie for the ball during aBundesliga match at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany on Sept. 1. [AP/YONHAP]

Fans can see more of Bayern the following Tuesday, when the Bundesliga giants play their first 2024-25 Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb.

A busy schedule also awaits Lee Kang-in’s Paris Saint-Germain, who play Brest at home in the Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in, left, fights for the ball with Montpellier's midfielder Gabriel Bares during the Ligue 1 match at The Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on Aug. 23. [AFP/YONHAP]

Lee did not pick up a goal in Korea’s two matches against Palestine and Oman during the international break that ended Tuesday, but the 23-year-old midfielder returns to Paris with two goals in three league fixtures.

PSG will also be back in action in the middle of the week as they start their Champions League campaign against Girona, although that catching that game will mean pushing your Chuseok celebrations through to 4 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Also on Saturday, Hwang In-beom faces a chance to make his debut for Dutch team Feyenoord against Groningen after joining the team earlier this month. That game will be aired in the early hours of Sunday morning in Korea, although as of press time the Korea JoongAng Daily was unable to confirm who has the Eredivisie broadcast rights.

Over in the Premier League, Son Heung-min’s Tottenham Hotspur resume their Premier League schedule with a north London derby against Arsenal at home on Sunday, and at a relatively social 10 p.m. for Korean fans.

Son returns to the Premier League in good form with one goal during the international break and two league goals over three matches.

The Spurs captain will be back in action again on Wednesday, taking on Coventry in the Carabao Cup, although that will also be an early morning affair for Korean fans.

Hwang Hee-chan’s Wolverhampton Wanderers will be back in league action on the same day as Spurs, with Wolves facing Newcastle Untied at home. That game is a chance for Hwang to score his first goal for Wolves this season, but will mean a late night for Korean fans as kickoff is at 1:30 a.m. on Monday morning.

Wolves will also be in action on Wednesday night — or the early hours of Thursday morning in Korea — as they face a tough fight against Brighton in the Carabao Cup.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan warms up before a Premier League match against Chelsea at Molineux Stadium in England on Aug. 25. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Back in Germany, Mainz 05, the only Bundesliga team with two Korean players Lee Jae-sung and Hong Hyun-seok, will be in league action on Sunday with a match against Werder Bremen at home.

Fellow Korean players like Celtic’s Yang Hyun-jun, Brentford’s Kim Ji-soo and Union Berlin’s Jeong Woo-young also have matches scheduled this weekend, although the three of them have not been key players for their respective teams so far this season.

Over in Korea, all 12 K League 1 teams will return for league action that resumes Friday. Ulsan HD, Pohang Steelers and Gwangju FC will have a busier schedule as the three enter the 2024-25 AFC Champions League Elite league stage with games starting the following Tuesday.

For baseball fans, both the KBO and MLB offer a packed week of games.

There will be KBO action every single day over the holiday as the league has long since descended into the disorderly mess of make-up games that characterize the end of every season. The regular season is currently set to end on Sept. 28, with the playoffs starting shortly after.

The Kia Tigers celebrate winning a KBO game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field in Gwangju on Sept. 8. [YONHAP]

The Kia Tigers sit at the top of the table as of press time Wednesday with a clear seven games, setting the Gwangju team up to potentially secure the pennant within the next two weeks.

While the domestic leagues go on, Korean tennis fans can turn their attention over to the WTA Korea Open that runs from Sept. 16 through Sept. 22 in southern Seoul. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the tennis tournament and the expected field currently includes top 10 players Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula.

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