Hwang In-beom heads in early goal to lead Feyenoord to 4-1 win

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Hwang In-beom heads in early goal to lead Feyenoord to 4-1 win

Published: 11 Nov. 2024, 08:28 Updated: 11 Nov. 2024, 16:23

JIM BULLEY
jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr

Feyenoord's Hwang In-beom celebrates after scoring the opener against Almere at Yanmar Stadium in Almere, Netherlands on Sunday. [EPA/YONHAP]

Hwang In-beom entered the international break in style of Sunday, kicking off Feyenoord’s 4-1 rout over Almere with a dramatic diving header in the third minute.

It wasn’t a game to arrive late or leave early for at Yanmar Stadium in Almere, the Netherlands on Sunday. The opening three goals were all scored within the first 10 minutes, with 60 minutes of silence following before two more crossed the line in the dying frames of the game.

Hwang was off to an especially fast start, sprinting in from the edge of the box to take a diving header from well outside the goal area. Hwang’s touch was just enough to redirect the ball past Almere goalkeeper Nordin Bakker, putting the visitors up 1-0.

Almere tied things up off a Kornelius Normann Hansen goal moments later, but Feyenoord struck again in the 10th minute to make it 2-1.

Hwang was subbed off in the 61st minute, just before Feyenoord broke through again with a Thomas Beelen effort in the 70th minute followed quickly by No. 4 from Anis Hadj-Moussa in the 78th.

Sunday’s goal was Hwang’s second in the Eredivisie since joining Feyenoord this summer, giving him two goals and one assist in eight league appearances.

Sunday’s fixture also saw the fans unveil a new Hwang chant, which, while steering clear of the problematic stereotypes that occasionally creep into football chants about Korean players, still made an explicit reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

According to fan posts on Instagram translated using Google Translate, the lyrics to the chant are: “Hwang In-beom is out Korean; No one can defeat him anymore; And even Kim Jong-un; Can not do anything about it; Hwang will make Feyenoord champion.”

Hwang will now join up with the Korean national team for two World Cup qualifiers, the first against Kuwait at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait on Thursday and the second against Palestine at Amman International Stadium in Jordan the following Tuesday.

Feyenoord will be back in action after the international break, next facing Heerenveen on Nov. 23.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]