‘Legendary outsider’ Lopez (33-Brazil) is returning to the K League.
On the 20th, an official familiar with the K League transfer market said, “Suwon FC has confirmed the signing of Lopez. They even took a medical test on the 19th. We will make an official announcement soon.” Suwon FC, which aimed to reinforce the offensive line, will aim to rebound in the second half of the season with Lopez, who has extensive K League experience. Lopez, who left the K League after 2019, made his comeback to the K League after four years.
Suwon FC had a disappointing first half of the season. With five wins, three draws, and 10 losses, the team fell to 10th place in the relegation zone with 18 points. Their goal-scoring was disappointing. Usually one of the top scorers in the league, Suwon FC finished ninth in team goals scored with 20. The key to Suwon FC’s success was its foreign players. Since it costs a lot of money to sign domestic players, the team decided to make changes in the foreign positions. We started to organize. First, they sent out Murillo, who was a ‘stalwart’. Murillo’s contract was terminated due to personal issues. Brazilian striker Ruan, a new signing this season, was also released. That leaves three spots open, including the one for Nisila, who was released before the start of the season.
Kim Do-gyun’s first priority was a flanker. New signing Lee Kwang-hyuk has struggled early in the season, but frequent injuries have been a problem, and ‘Ace’ Lee Seung-woo hasn’t been as good as he was last season. With Lee Young-jae returning from military service in the center
in the center, the team was in desperate need of a fast winger to partner him. Lopez’s name suddenly popped up as a possible option.
Lopez is one of the best foreign strikers in the history of the K League that needs no introduction. He broke into the K League in 2015 with Jeju United and wasted no time in his first year. As Jeju’s ace, he scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists, leading the team to the Final A. After playing in the Brazilian fourth division, Lopez’s talent blossomed in Korea and he soared. After moving to the ‘strongest’ Jeonbuk Hyundai for a whopping 1.8 billion won, Lopez excelled even more. He and Leonardo formed the league’s strongest left and right wings, leading Jeonbuk’s attack. With his speed and strength, daring breakthroughs, link-ups, kicks, and determination, Lopez was called the best crack in the league. In four seasons with Jeonbuk, he scored 48 goals and provided 33 assists.
Lopez’s success in the K League led to a move to the Chinese Super League’s Shanghai Shenhua, which was still investing heavily at the time. At the time, the transfer fee was the highest in K League history at $6 million. Lopez’s success in China earned him a call-up to Europe, but unfortunately, injuries derailed him. Lopez then moved to J-League 2 side Jeff United, but injuries hampered his progress, and he most recently played for Borskla Poltava in Ukraine.
In the twilight of his career, Lopez decided to return to South Korea, where he was at the peak of his powers. His family also missed Korea. Money didn’t matter. He was linked to Suwon FC, who were looking for a winger. For a club that couldn’t afford to spend big, the cheap but proven Lopez was a lottery ticket worth scratching. Given his injury history, Suwon FC offered him a tryout. Lopez readily accepted. He had a week-long trial in Icheon, Suwon’s mini-training center. He wasn’t as good as he had been in the past, but he showed flashes of brilliance. His speed wasn’t bad, and he seemed to get better as time went on. But it was his work ethic that impressed Kim. Lopez told him that he was willing to drop everything and do everything he could to burn one last flame in Korea. Eventually, Kim opened up.메이저사이트
Kim, the rumored “rehabilitation factory boss” of the K League, made plans to get Lopez back in shape and start using him in July. Kim is hopeful that Lopez’s willingness will speed up the process. With the addition of Lopez, Suwon FC has added strength to its offense. It doesn’t end there. The next target is a foreign center back. Kim already has a shortlist of candidates. The idea is to sign quickly and prepare for the second half of the season. If they can afford it, they plan to add another striker. Suwon FC, which bolstered its midfield after Lee Young-jae, the team’s ace before his military enlistment, left the army, is hoping to rebound in the second half of the season with a different foreign signing. Lopez is the start of that.