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PSG's Lee Kang-in Scores Twice in South Korea’s 3-1 Win against Bahrain in Asian Cup

South Korea's midfielder #18 Lee Kang-in celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's third goal during the Qatar 2023 AFC Asian Cup Group E football match between South Korea and Bahrain at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on January 15, 2024. (AFP)
South Korea's midfielder #18 Lee Kang-in celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's third goal during the Qatar 2023 AFC Asian Cup Group E football match between South Korea and Bahrain at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on January 15, 2024. (AFP)
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PSG's Lee Kang-in Scores Twice in South Korea’s 3-1 Win against Bahrain in Asian Cup

South Korea's midfielder #18 Lee Kang-in celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's third goal during the Qatar 2023 AFC Asian Cup Group E football match between South Korea and Bahrain at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on January 15, 2024. (AFP)
South Korea's midfielder #18 Lee Kang-in celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's third goal during the Qatar 2023 AFC Asian Cup Group E football match between South Korea and Bahrain at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on January 15, 2024. (AFP)

Paris Saint-Germain winger Lee Kang-in is used to being overshadowed by Kylian Mbappe at club level. Son Heung-min remains the icon for his national team South Korea.

But with two moments of individual brilliance against Bahrain on Monday, Lee took center stage at the Asian Cup. Not that he seemed comfortable under the spotlight after scoring twice in the second half to inspire South Korea to a 3-1 win in the Group E match.

“It's not just about my two goals. All the goals we score are very important for the team. I would just like to say and highlight that it is not about individual performance,” a modest Lee said afterward.

His coach Jurgen Klinsmann was also restrained in his praise of the forward.

“If you score two in the opening game of the Asian Cup for us you deserve to be man of match and (it was) a very good performance. But I have to keep him on the ground every day,” he said with a smile.

It feels like there is no danger of success going to Lee's head. And as members of the media crowded around after the post-match news conference, he was likely happy to see it was Klinsmann, the World Cup-winning former Germany striker, who was being mobbed with requests for selfies.

Lee was just trying to get back to the locker room at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.

Earlier he had scored two picture perfect goals to get South Korea off to a winning start in the competition the country hasn't won since back-to-back titles in 1956 and 60.

The game was tied at 1-1 when he took control, giving South Korea a 2-1 lead in the 56th-minute with a left-footed shot from around 30 yards (meters).

He was equally clinical as he scored his second goal 12 minutes later when showing sharp footwork and curling the ball into the bottom corner.

Hwang In-beom had given South Korea a first half lead with a goal in the 38th, but Bahrain equalized six minutes after the break through Abdullah Al Hashash.

“We knew it was not going to be easy to play Bahrain today and it turned out to be scrappy,” Klinsmann said. “We are very pleased to start with three points in the tournament, that is what really matters.”

Two-time champion South Korea hadn’t conceded a goal in its last six Asian Cup group games, spanning the past two tournaments. But that record was put under threat early on when an unmarked Mohamed Marhoon headed over from close range.

It was the first of a number of missed chances for both teams until Hwang’s opener.

South Korea’s Cho Gue-sung fired over with only the goalkeeper to beat and Lee Jae-sung also missed the target at the far post.

Bahrain’s Ali Madan shot wide after bursting into the box.

It was Hwang who finally delivered a precise finish as South Korea went ahead — sweeping a shot past Lutfallah after Lee's cross.

Bahrain continued to create openings in the second half and Komail Al Aswad forced a save from Kim Seung-gyu before Al Hashash struck with a side-footed finish from inside the box.

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2 Sailors Die in the Stormy First Night of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, Organizers Say

Spectators at North Head watch yachts compete during the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Boxing Day at Sydney Harbor on December 26, 2024. (AFP)
Spectators at North Head watch yachts compete during the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Boxing Day at Sydney Harbor on December 26, 2024. (AFP)
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2 Sailors Die in the Stormy First Night of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, Organizers Say

Spectators at North Head watch yachts compete during the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Boxing Day at Sydney Harbor on December 26, 2024. (AFP)
Spectators at North Head watch yachts compete during the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Boxing Day at Sydney Harbor on December 26, 2024. (AFP)

Two sailors on separate boats have been killed in boom accidents two hours apart on a storm-ravaged first night of the annual Sydney to Hobart race, adding to the event's long history of deaths at sea.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney, which administers the yacht race, said Friday that one sailor each on entrants Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline were killed after being struck by the boom, a large horizontal pole at the bottom of the sail.

New South Wales Police Superintendent Joe McNulty identified the two dead sailors as a 55-year-old man from Western Australia (on Flying Fish Arctos) and a 65-year-old man from South Australia (on Bowline).

He said the crews on both boats, which had been seized by police for evidence, were "doing it pretty tough at the moment."

"We’ve got police getting talking to them, doctors and counselling. They’re assisting with our inquiries. They are shaken up by what they’ve seen ... and they didn’t give up."

Officials later said a sailor was washed overboard on another boat, but was rescued. That crew member was from Hobart yacht Porco Rosso, and he drifted a kilometer from the yacht before being rescued.

The incident triggered the crew member’s emergency position-indicating radio beacon, a safety device that must be worn by all sailors in the race.

"That is one of the most terrifying experiences that you can have," said David Jacobs, vice-commodore of the CYCA. "(And) it was at night, which makes it tenfold more scary."

The deaths come 26 years after six sailors were killed in storms during the 1998 running of the race, which triggered a state coronial inquest and mass reforms to the safety protocols — including the radio beacon on all sailors — that govern the race. There have been 13 fatalities in the 79-year history of the race, with four of those deaths resulting from sailor heart attacks.

The fleet was continuing its passage to Constitution Dock in Hobart, Tasmania, with the first boats expected to arrive early Saturday morning. The race is 628 nautical miles (722 miles, 1,160 kilometers) long.

Jacobs reiterated the race would "absolutely" continue.

"The conditions are challenging, but they’re not excessive," he said. "So we’ve got sort of winds at about 25 knots coming from the north seas around about two meters or thereabouts, so the conditions that most of the sailors would normally easily handle."

"The sailing community is a very close community. There’s about a thousand sailors on the water in this race, and to lose two in this fashion is just devastating."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the sailors who died.

"We have sadly awoken to tragedy in the Sydney to Hobart with the awful news that two sailors have lost their lives," he said. "Our thoughts are with the crews, their families and loved ones at this deeply sad time."

The incident aboard Flying Fish Arctos occurred around 30 nautical miles east-southeast of Ulladulla on the New South Wales south coast. Crew members attempted CPR but could not revive their teammate.

The crew member aboard Bowline was struck approximately 30 nautical miles east/north-east of Batemans Bay and fell unconscious, with CPR also unsuccessful.

"As these incidents are being dealt with by the Water Police and all family members are yet to be contacted, we cannot provide further details at this stage," the CYCA said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the crews, family and friends of the deceased."

The first all-Filipino crew of 15 sailors was entered in the 2024 race, but was among the retirements because of the weather. With veteran sailor Ernesto Echauz at the helm, Centennial 7 was one of six international entrants and includes sailors from the Philippines’ national team and the Philippines navy.

Last year, LawConnect won line honors after holding off defending champion Comanche by less than a minute in an exciting finish between the super maxis. LawConnect, which was runner-up in the last three editions of the race, finished in 1 day, 19 hours, 3 minutes, 58 seconds. Comanche’s time was 1 day, 19 hours, 4 minutes, 49 seconds — a margin of just 51 seconds.

Comanche, which was among the retirements in this year's race, holds the race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds, set when it won in 2017.

Nearly 26 hours into the race, 85 entrants were still sailing and 19 yachts had retired at sea or in port.

LawConnect, which led out of Sydney Harbor on Thursday, was ahead in the race but still had about 150 nautical miles before reaching Hobart. It could mean an overnight finish for the leading yachts early Saturday. Celestial V70 was in second place, about 20 nautical miles behind LawConnect.