Didier Drogba showed power that was not like a retired player.
At 6 p.m. on the 19th, the first day of the "2024 Nexon Icon Match" (hereinafter referred to as Icon Match) was held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. The Icon Match, a competition between the concept of "Chang" and "shield" hosted by Nexon and "Shoot for Love," has received a lot of attention from all over the world since the news of the event was announced.
Among them, there was considerable interest in Drogba, which is especially popular among domestic fans. Prior to the game, the crowd with Drogba's uniform was overflowing near the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Drogba played for Chelsea from 2004 to 2012. This period coincides with the period when Park Ji-sung, the father of Korean soccer, played in the Premier League, when a large number of Korean soccer fans flowed into overseas soccer.
He led Chelsea to a golden age by winning four Premier League titles and two top scorers. He also led the team to the UEFA Champions League title for the first time in Chelsea's history in the 2011/12 season.
"Thanks to this opportunity, I am excited to be able to re-engage with the players that I shared an era with. It is the first time that so many (retired legendary) players have gathered together. The concept of a match between a spear and a shield was very interesting. I don't think it will be easy to face a team consisting of just defenders," Drogba told reporters before the match.
He has maintained a humble attitude throughout the game. Asked who had the most difficult time during his time as a pro baseball player, he said, "Here are two coaches (Thierry Henry and Fabio Cannavaro). There are so many good players in the shield team 메이저사이트. When I was a player, I took them as an opportunity to motivate myself to develop further."
Contrary to his humble attitude, Drogba's eyes turned fierce when the event match began. Drogba's true value was revealed in the second event, "Power Battle," which was prepared on the day.
The competition to measure the power of the two teams involved determining the outcome based on which player breaks the board the most. Drogba was joined by Park Joo-ho of the defense team. He crushed seven boards, overwhelming Park who smashed four boards.
Since then, Dimitar Berbatov, Nemanja Vidic, Diego Forlan and other players with good shooting have come forward, but they have not exceeded Drogba's record.
The game between the two teams was tied at 28 to 28 and continued into extra time. Drogba appeared as a kicker in the extra time and fired a powerful shot to defeat six shots. However, the team lost to Toure, who defeated seven shots, and regrettably lost. Despite this, Drogba displayed tremendous power considering the age gap between the two players and the timing of their retirement.