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As one of his nation's most high-profile players after captain Son Heung-Min, a hip injury to Hwang Hee-Chan was initially cause for concern to South Korea ahead of the start of their 2023 AFC Asian Cup campaign. Hwang missed their opening two games against Bahrain and Jordan entirely, where a haul of four points -- after a shock 2-2 draw with the latter -- left the South Koreans at risk of unthinkably missing out of the knockout round. Despite an even more surprising 3-3 draw against Malaysia to finish their Group E campaign, South Korea nevertheless did enough to book their place in the round of 16. Despite the disappointing performance of that tie with Malaysia, the game did however bring some joy in the return of Hwang -- who came on as a 62nd-minute substitute. Since then, it should not come as a huge surprise that the presence and availability of Hwang has coincided with the Taegeuk Warriors overcoming a couple of stern tests in their march to the semifinals, where they are now two wins away from ending an incredible 64-year wait to be crowned champions of Asia for the third time. While Son has undeniably been his country's main man for the past decade or so now, his cause to lead them to glory has been helped in recent times by the emergence of a stellar supporting that previously may have been elusive. After a meteoric rise that took him from Fenerbahce to Napoli and then Bayern Munich in successive summers, Kim Min-Jae is now regarded as one of the best centre-backs in European football, while Lee Kang-In was always viewed as a potential world-class talent when he came through the ranks of Valencia but is now starting to deliver on his promise following a move to Paris Saint-Germain.  Yet, based on current form, there is no one more well-equipped to be a foil to Son than Hwang, who has taken his game to the next level this season. The stocky and pacy attacker always looked destined for bigger and better things from the time he formed a fearsome attacking triumvirate with Erling Haaland and Takumi Minamino in the Austrian Bundesliga with Red Bull Salzburg. While Haaland and Minamino would both depart for greener pastures midway through the 2019-20 season, Hwang had to wait till the summer before earning his move and, even then, it was not as glamourous as a transfer to Borussia Dortmund or Liverpool but to RB Leipzig, even if the German outfit are far from a small club. Hwang would eventually join Wolves -- initially on loan at the start of the 2021-22 season -- but his first two campaigns in the Premier League would only see him net eight goals in total. Halfway through the current campaign, the 28-year-old already has already bettered that total with ten goals to his name, with only five players -- Son being one of them -- boasting a greater tally in the Premier League at the moment. Hwang has also shown a penchant for delivering in big moments, with his 66th-minute winner in a 2-1 victory over Manchester City back in September inflicting a first league defeat of the season on the reigning champions. And his ability to thrive under the spotlight has been replicated at the Asian Cup. He continued his return from injury with another substitute appearance in a last-16 clash with Saudi Arabia, where his direct running caused the opposition plenty of problems as South Korea eventually came from behind to net a dramatic 99th-minute equaliser and ultimately force penalties -- where Hwang would keep his cool to score the winning spot-kick in a 4-2 shootout triumph.  Onto the quarterfinals and up against fellow heavyweights Australia, the Taegeuk Warriors again found themselves trailing but after they won a penalty in the sixth minute of added time, it was Hwang -- not Son -- who has handed the responsibility to take the game into extra-time -- and he would make no mistake in smashing an emphatic effort past Mathew Ryan. On this occasion, there was no need for the lottery of another shootout. With him proving near-impossible to contain, Hwang would win a freekick on the edge of the box right as the first half of extra-time drew to a close, setting the stage for Son to snatch the win with a superb freekick. The main man is still Son, and he will continue to be pivotal in South Korea's chances of a first Asian Cup crown since 1960. Still, with all due respect to his teammates from years gone by, there is a feeling he now has the requisite supporting cast to help get the job done rather than having to do it all on his own. In the form of Kim, and Lee, and even goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-Woo, who made two excellent penalty saves in the victory over Saudi Arabia. And in Hwang, the man South Korea initially had to make do without, but whose return -- perhaps by no accident -- has coincided with their charge deep into the final stages of the Asian Cup.
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