Suwon: Former Manchester United player and current FC Seoul captain Jesse Lingard is among the candidates to play for the South Korean league All-Star squad in an upcoming exhibition match against Newcastle United.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Professional Football League (K League) has released a list of 44 candidates eligible for fan voting to determine the starting lineup for "Team K League" in the July 30 contest against Newcastle. This match, set to take place at Suwon World Cup Stadium, is part of the annual "Coupang Play Series," organized by the streaming platform Coupang. The series will also see Newcastle face Tottenham Hotspur on August 3 at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Lingard is one of 12 candidates vying for a forward position, with fans tasked with selecting three players for the spot.
In addition to the forwards, fans will select three midfielders from a pool of 12 candidates, four defenders from 16 candidates, and one goalkeeper from four candidates. Lingard, who has become one of the K League's most popular players, missed last year's match against Tottenham due to a hamstring injury, despite being voted onto Team K League.
Lingard is currently in his second season in South Korea and has taken over as FC Seoul's captain this year. Fan voting for the lineup began at noon on Friday and will continue until midnight on July 13 through the K League's official app, Kick. Each fan can vote once per day and may not select more than three players from the same club.
The K League has stated that voting totals will be updated in real-time for the first seven days, with results kept confidential for the final three days. The starting lineup is scheduled to be announced on July 15. Team K League head coach Kim Pan-gon, who is also the head coach of the defending champions Ulsan HD FC, along with his staff, will select the reserves.