The retired athletes' passion and determination are showcased in 'Shooting Star,' which has returned for season 2. It is noteworthy to see what kind of inspiration and fun the 'Shooting Star,' with special new players joining, will bring.
On the 12th, a site visit for the filming of Coupang Play's entertainment show 'Shooting Star Season 2' (hereinafter referred to as Shooting Star 2) took place at the Yongin Mir Stadium in Samga-dong, Cheoin-gu, Yongin. Attendees included PD Jo Hyo-jin, coach Choi Yong-soo, head coach Seol Ki-hyun, and players Goo Ja-cheol, Lee Geun-ho, and Patrice Evra.
'Shooting Star 2' is Korea's only full-time growth soccer entertainment show where retired legend players challenge the current K League with Director General Park Ji-sung and coach Choi Yong-soo. Last season, 'Shooting Star' proved its real-time topicality by surpassing 3 million cumulative views on shorts and reels and is set to continue the 'Shooting Star syndrome' towards the higher goal of challenging the K3 League once again with a more spectacular cast than season 1.
'FC Shooting Star,' promoted to the K3 League, will compete against K3 clubs, the top semi-professional league in Korea, connecting K League 1 and K League 2. As the opponents have become stronger, the players have also been upgraded so dramatically that they could be called a dream team. This season features players who were mainstays of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2012 London Olympics, including Goo Ja-cheol, who led the 'London Generation' and even captained the national team, and Lee Geun-ho, who won the MVP award in the AFC Champions League and was named Player of the Year as 'Son of the Sun.' New recruits like 'Yeom Star' Yeom Ki-hoon, who received high praise from coach Choi Yong-soo in season 1, and legendary defender Yoon Young-sun will join the existing players.
The South Korean national soccer team achieved an incredible milestone by qualifying for the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time after defeating Iraq and crushing Kuwait 4-0. On a hot day in June, when soccer enthusiasm peaked, retired players were sweating it out at Yongin Mir Stadium. They were the 'Shooting Star' players, who won the K4 League and were promoted to the K3 League, continuing fierce competition.
To secure victory, coach Choi Yong-soo, coach Seol Ki-hyun, and others joined forces, while the players warmed up and prepared for the match. 'World-class' Patrice Evra, who has played for Manchester United and Juventus, was also preparing for the game. With a live event unfolding, the atmosphere on-site was electric.
Before the game, coach Choi Yong-soo, head coach Seol Ki-hyun, Goo Ja-cheol, Lee Geun-ho, and Patrice Evra met with reporters to discuss their thoughts. Although 'Shooting Star' is an entertainment program, it will progress quite seriously, like professional soccer, starting from 6 p.m. The stories of these individuals could be heard during the press conference.
It was essential to hear from the newly joined players. Last year's retirees Goo Ja-cheol and Lee Geun-ho were the main characters. Goo Ja-cheol said, “Joining itself was a significant challenge for me personally. I retired after almost not playing in my last season due to injury, and I worried and feared whether I could help and create a story by joining. Now, my calf condition has improved, and I'm gaining confidence.” Lee Geun-ho noted, “I’m so glad to gather again with the coach and staff. I am very thankful. While I may achieve the desired results or not, it’s nice to feel the emotions as a professional player in the process. I am sincerely engaged as much as possible. Many people watched season 1, enjoyed it, and cheered for us, so everyone is working hard to repay that support.”
Having returned to the field, both players had their mindsets back to their days as players. Lee Geun-ho stated, “The biggest change is that I have been dieting. After retiring, I always told my wife that I wanted to eat everything I liked, so I ate whatever I wanted, but now, to rebuild my body, I am following the same routine I had as a player. I feel like I've become a real player again.” Goo Ja-cheol shared, “After retiring and doing various things, I couldn’t immerse myself in soccer. But as a player, I have to manage my condition 365 days a year, so I am taking care of my body like a professional athlete again. I gained 8 kg after retirement, but I’ve lost 4 kg now. I am working hard to show a better version of myself.”
This is the first time these two players will be working with coach Choi Yong-soo. Lee Geun-ho mentioned, “The coach distinctly separates professional and personal relationships with players outside the field and inside the field. I am learning a lot from this. Tactically, he effectively uses both three-back and four-back formations. It is an honor to meet him.” Goo Ja-cheol stated, “This is my first time with coach Choi Yong-soo. I had heard he was charismatic and strict, but he’s very communicative and checks on our conditions. Surprisingly, he is an approachable coach. His image differs from what I expected before joining. I felt that he wants to be closer to us, even performing an eagle kick during a friendly match.”
Coach Choi Yong-soo and head coach Seol Ki-hyun will continue to work together this season as they did last season, and they are expected to manage the entertainment aspects. Coach Choi Yong-soo commented, “We are facing larger K3 league teams, and I want to keep my promise to the players from season 1. I regret not getting closer to the players while leading them. I was obsessively focused on achieving success at that time, but since the players are the main characters, I wonder how I could have approached them more elegantly. I want to convey good stories to fans through the process rather than the results.”
Head coach Seol Ki-hyun stated, “After just doing the coaching and now changing to this role, I couldn’t support as well as I wanted in season 1. I should approach from the perspective of a coach, but I sometimes fell back into the way I managed as a coach, which led to some disagreements. However, as we continue to collaborate, it seems we are getting on well. Initially, I didn’t think highly of coach Choi Yong-soo's abilities, but after working together in season 1 and 2, I see there are areas where I can learn from him.”
'Shooting Star' has risen after conquering the K4 League, but it is currently battling a massive wall called K3. Coach Choi Yong-soo remarked, “We are encountering the K3 league players, and it’s a bit intimidating. Aside from winning, I believe if we can present ourselves properly with what we can do, the difference between K3 and K4 is not that significant.”
PD Jo Hyo-jin said, “The most differentiated aspect is the players. Lee Geun-ho and Goo Ja-cheol have newly joined, and Evra has joined as a foreign player. It’s a point of interest how these excellent players will perform; although they are retired, they have growth stories to share, so it would be great if viewers can emotionally engage with whether or not they will perform well, as they did in the past. The difference between season 1 and season 2 is the opponents. We are promoted and now facing K3, which is fiercer and has intricately intertwined emotional lines. The opponents are strong, and as our bodies have aged, those two factors are the biggest differences. The continuity between season 1 and season 2 comes from our sincerity towards soccer and our earnestness to overcome this adversity.”
Patrice Evra, who played for prestigious clubs representing each country, such as Manchester United and Juventus, will lend his strength to 'Shooting Star.' Evra stated, “I’m delighted to join the program, and when my brother Park Ji-sung asked, I couldn’t refuse. The atmosphere was good, and while the coach is humorous and open-minded, he is prudent and focused when needed, which left a strong impression on me. I don’t want this to feel like a friendly match. I came here for the program, not as the player Evra; I will do my best to perform well.” He added, “I did not join because I was scared or anything from Park Ji-sung. When I asked for his cooperation, he agreed, and that's why I joined. Another reason is that Korea feels like home to me. I came to Korea five years ago for Park Ji-sung's mother's funeral but am grateful to be back and join this project.”
When asked about his determination, Evra exclaimed, “I LOVE THIS GAME.” He mentioned that after the game that day, he would again team up with 'Shooting Star' in games scheduled for July and stated, “Thank you for having me join, and just like always, I will give my best.”
Coupang Play's entertainment show 'Shooting Star Season 2' is set to premiere in the latter half of this year.
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