For South Korean midfielder Inbeom Hwang, coming to the Vancouver Whitecaps was about more than his next step as a soccer player. It was about a connection, a vision for where he could call home.
And the 22-year-old, now a Designated Player in Vancouver, had plenty of options after four years at Daejeon Citizen, his childhood club.
“I felt like the club wanted me not just as a player, but as a person,” Hwang said. “I felt that the club really valued me and showed that they really wanted me. The Whitecaps are the club that showed it by far.”
That’s but one takeaway from a mini-documentary Vancouver recently released titled “Son of Daejeon: The Inbeom Hwang story.”
With Hwang’s father and his childhood coach, you get a sense of how the South Korean international became one of Asia’s brightest young stars. Then in Vancouver, head coach Marc Dos Santos shares thoughts and you get a sense of the language-crossing friendships he’s developed with midfielder Russell Tiebert and left back Ali Adnan.
Hwang is the first one to note he expects more, though. He has two goals and two assists in his first season with Vancouver, recently eliminated from the Western Conference playoff race.
“However, as a Designated Player, I want to do better and bring my play to a higher standard," Hwang said. "Sometimes I put more pressure on myself than I should.”
You can watch the whole video above.
