National team player Baek Seung-ho (28, Birmingham City) and Lee Myung-jae (32, Birmingham City) are experiencing contrasting fortunes on the same team.
Birmingham City won 2-1 against Bristol Rovers in the '2024-2025 season England League 1 (third division) round 40' held at the Bristol Memorial Stadium in England on the 2nd.
With this victory, Birmingham has increased its lead to 89 points (27 wins, 8 draws, 3 losses), making promotion to the Championship highly likely. With 8 games remaining, Birmingham is 11 points ahead of second-place Wrexham (78 points), putting them in a strong position for promotion.
This season, Birmingham has achieved 27 wins, setting a new club record for the most league wins in a single season. With 37 official wins, Birmingham also surpassed the record for the most official wins in a single season in 30 years.
Baek Seung-ho contributed to the victory. Baek Seung-ho had injured his hamstring during the A-match call-up against Oman in March. As a result, he was released early from the national team. Baek Seung-ho also missed the match against Shrewsbury Town on March 30, raising concerns.
Fortunately, the injury was not severe. Baek Seung-ho returned to play in the match against Bristol. He came on as a substitute in the 56th minute and contributed to the team's victory. This season, Baek Seung-ho has played in 31 out of 33 matches as a starter, performing as a key member of the team.
Baek Seung-ho has experienced the ups and downs of life. After joining Birmingham in January 2024 for a renewed challenge in Europe, he faced the pain of the team being relegated to the third division after just one season. Baek Seung-ho successfully established himself in the Championship, and a transfer to a rival team aiming for Premier League promotion was quite possible.
However, Baek Seung-ho signed a four-year contract to remain with Birmingham. His dedication has paid off. Baek Seung-ho is leading the team with 1 goal and 3 assists. If Birmingham gets promoted to the Championship after one year, Baek Seung-ho's equity in that success will be significant.
On the same team, Lee Myung-jae is going through a tough time. National team fullback Lee Myung-jae turned down a stable career at home to challenge the European stage at a late age. He signed a contract with Birmingham, where Baek Seung-ho plays, for the 24-25 season.
His final challenge in his playing career is not bearing fruit. Lee Myung-jae has yet to make his debut this season. It is uncertain when Lee Myung-jae, who has not even made the squad list, can debut. As the team is at a crucial moment with promotion and the EFL Trophy victory ahead, there is considerable pressure to use Lee Myung-jae.
This season, there are only 9 games left for Birmingham. Lee Myung-jae must somehow make his debut and leave a good impression to maintain hopes for further challenges in Europe.
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