Pohang Steelers center back Ha Chang-rae, 28, has experienced a lot of firsts in the six years since his professional debut.
First, he was sent off twice in one season. On March 11, he was sent off in the 34th minute against Daejeon. He lost the ball in a routine situation and gave away a free kick in a dangerous area, but the referee’s VAR (video assistant referee) on-field review changed the color of his card from yellow to red. Fortunately, despite being outnumbered in the match, Pohang managed to hold on for a 0-0 draw and a valuable point.
The second direct sending off came against Suwon on March 12. In the 12th minute of the second half, he committed a foul while trying to stop opposing striker Jeon Jin-woo’s solo run and was sent off via VAR. Having never been sent off since his professional debut in 2017, receiving two red cards in one season is not something Ha Chang-rae is used to, but thankfully, the match ended in a 1-1 draw and no points were lost.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten two direct ejections in the pros. I went to the coach’s room and talked to him about it. I told him that I was not playing well, and we talked about my performance and this situation. The coach thanked me for coming in person,” he said.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Ha has been reborn in the faith of Pohang coach Kim Ki-dong, the “new kid on the block.” He’s been showing off his impeccable defensive prowess as the main center back with Grant, only to make a big mistake once in a while. Even though Park Chan-yong, who can also be used as the main center back, has been playing well as a substitute for Ha Chang-rae, Kim is giving him another chance once Ha Chang-rae’s suspension is lifted. Ha said, “With (Park) Chan-yong and Grant doing well right now, I’m sure the coach had a lot of trouble playing a player who came back from a suspension. The coach believed in me. I have a lot to be grateful for,” he explained.카지노
Kim’s reward has to be on the pitch. Ha Chang-rae has been sent off twice, but he has also saved Pohang twice, and that’s just against FC Seoul. On June 11, he headed home a corner kick from Baek Seong-dong just before the end of a 0-1 defeat against Seoul. On June 4, the trip to Seoul was a dead heat with the previous match. Down 1-2 in stoppage time, Lee Ho-jae headed in a corner kick from Kim In-sung, and Ha Chang-rae rattled the net with a header. It was the “Seoul Killer”. Ha said, “Coincidentally, I got to wear the captain’s armband when (Kim) Seung-dae-hyung went out. Just like the last game against Seoul, I scored a goal while wearing the captain’s armband again. The moment the armband was put on, I remembered the last game, and that scene (the goal) flashed through my mind. I’m excited and proud that it led to the result,” he laughed. “My teammates were jokingly saying, ‘You’re going to Seoul,’ because I score so many goals against them. I don’t want to read too much into the two goals against Seoul. I want to become a more stable player defensively.”