A guide to Team K League for Newcastle United fans

Team K League will return later this week to take on English Premier League side Newcastle United in the first match of the Coupang Play Series. But for any Magpies fans wondering what Team K League is, K League United has put together a comprehensive guide.

How is Team K League picked?

Team K League is put together through a fan vote for 11 players plus one young player, then the rest is picked by the coaching team in charge. First of all, in late June, 12 young player candidates were put up for a vote. Pohang Steelers centre back Han Hyeon-seo received the most votes with 24.6% ensuring his place in the squad. 

From July 4th to 13th, fans voted for who else they want to see, with the top-voted goalkeeper, top four voted defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards making it into the squad. 

Then the head coach of Team K League, Kim Pan-gon, who is the current manager of reigning champions Ulsan HD, along with Gwangju FC manager Lee Jung-hyo, who'll serve as his assistant, picked the remaining players to flesh out the squad. 

So, because of how most of the squad has been selected, Team K League is not an "all-star" team as such. What complicates things this year is the visit of FC Barcelona, who will take on FC Seoul on July 31st, then Daegu FC on August 3rd. There is only one FC Seoul player involved, and it's not Jesse Lingard.

Full squad here

Who has Team K League played before?

As 'Team K League," and not K League All-Stars as it has been in the past, Team K League has played four matches, winning one, drawing one, and losing two. The first in 2019 became a global news story on account of the Cristiano Ronaldo no-show, but the motley collection of K League stars earned a very credible and pride-boosting 3-3 draw that night. Team K League's only win came against Atletico Madrid in 2023.

Team K League Results

2019, Juventus, 3-3 draw

2022, Tottenham Hotspur 6-3 loss

2023, Atletico Madrid 3-2 win
2024, Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 loss

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Who are the standout players from Team K League?

Keep tabs on number seven, right winger, Jasir Asani, who likes to cut in from the right and shoot from outside the box. He's a full Albania international and has a good record for his country, even representing them at the Euros. Goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo will prove a tough nut to crack for Newcastle's forwards, while veteran attacking midfielder Cesinha is a player for the big occasion and likes to shoot from distance.

Any players who've played in Europe?

Team K League has a few European players who have had solid careers in their own countries and elsewhere on the continent. Right winger Jasir Asani has won the Albanian top division, the Albanian Super Cup, as well as the Macedonia league title. Darijan Bojanic has won three Swedish Cups, and Anton Kryvotsyuk has won the Azerbaijan top division title.

Aside from the Europeans, attacking midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong made the move to Schalke 04 in January 2021 but only made one appearance due to injury, and went on loan to Hansa Rostock, making 12 appearances and registering one assist, before returning to K League to complete his military service. Things didn't go to plan for Lee Dong-gyeong, but he's a very talented player and, since returning to K League in 2023, has scored 22 and assisted 13 in 69 matches. Not Europe, but right back Kim Moon-hwan played 28 times for LAFC in Major League Soccer

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Which players are in the national team?

There are a handful of players who have racked up a lot of appearances for the national team. Jo Hyeon-woo shot to fame during the 2018 World Cup for his impressive performances between the sticks, while Kim Young-gwon scored in the 2-0 win over Germany in Kazan, and against Portugal in Qatar in 2022.

Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan) - 44 caps
Lee Tae-seok (Pohang) - 7 caps
Byun Jun-soo (Gwangju) - 1 cap
Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon) - 30 caps
Kim Young-gwon (Ulsan) - 112 caps, 7 goals
Park Jin-seop (Jeonbuk) - 8 caps, 1 goal
Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk) - 12 caps, 3 goals
Lee Dong-gyeong (Gimcheon) - 12 caps, 2 goals
Jeon Jin-woo (Jeonbuk) - 2 caps

Any young players worth keeping an eye on?

Technical midfielder Hwang Do-yoon, 22, is very tidy on the ball, has good vision and technique, and has broken into the FC Seoul team properly this season, becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet. He has four assists in 21 appearances this season.

Pohang Steelers centre back, Han Hyeon-seo, who won the young player vote, has seen his stock rise rapidly over the last few months. Injuries and suspensions at the heart of Pohang's defense led to Han getting thrust into the first team, and he has become a regular.

Who normally uses the stadiums?

The match against Team K League will be played at Suwon World Cup Stadium, just south of Seoul, but still in the greater capital region. It is the home of one of K League's most successful clubs, Suwon Samsung Bluewings, although the Bluewings have fallen off their perch of late and on hard times, finding themselves in K League 2 following a shock relegation in 2023. 

"Big Bird," as it is commonly referred to, due to the large wing-like structure above the main stand. The South Korea women's team recently lifted the EAFF E-1 Football Championship tophy (East Asian Cup) at this stadium.

The match against Tottenham Hotspur will be played at Seoul World Cup Stadium, the home of FC Seoul and the South Korean national team.

As the names suggest, both were used in the 2002 World Cup. None of them hosted England matches, but Suwon World Cup Stadium hosted the Republic of Ireland's 1-1 (2-3 pens) match with Spain. It's nicknamed Big Bird due to the large wing-like structure on the roof of the main stand. No one knows what kind of bird it is, but no one has ruled out magpie...

Seoul World Cup Stadium hosted three matches at the World Cup, including South Korea's 1-0 loss to Germany in the semifinals.

How can I watch K League? 

Watch K League live, for free, and in HD on TV.KLeague.com. Four matches per round will have English commentary. The season is heading into the business end of things, and there's lots to play for at both ends of the table with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors looking to win a first league title since 2021 and their 10th overall, not to mention the ever-tense but nonetheless entertaining for the neutral relegation battle and promotion-relegation playoffs.