Coupang Play's large-scale soccer survival show "Next Legend" will play its fateful first evaluation match against the youth team of Sunderland AFC, the 147-year-old storied English club. The released preview and stills for episode 8 capture the hopefuls' excitement at passing through the first gateway to the dream stage, their desperate survival instincts, and the hair-trigger clashes that erupt on the field, raising anticipation.
Coupang Play variety show "Next Legend" is a real survival program in which the next-generation prospects who will lead the future of Korean soccer compete fiercely to earn opportunities to move abroad.
The stills from episode 8 are filled with moments of excitement and tension for the "Next Legend" team captured on site in England, the birthplace of soccer, drawing attention. From Lee Eun-ho of "Korea Lamine Yamal" sprinting fiercely in a new uniform modeled after the Taegeukgi to the high-intensity training scenes of prospects who made the "Best 15" such as Lee Ye-jun, Kim Eun-seong, Lee Jae-hyung, and Oh Chang-hwan, all eyes are focused. In particular, a local scout was seen analyzing participants' profiles with a sharp gaze, prompting keen interest in who will become the "next Son Heung-min" picked by a European club.
The released preview also shows the tumultuous challenge of the "Next Legend" team as they fight with determination for victory while playing an evaluation match against Sunderland, a prestigious English club. Sunderland, founded in 1879 with two FA Cup wins and six English first-division titles, is renowned as a "soccer powerhouse." Mentioning the "kick and rush" style (a direct style that develops attacks by sending long passes forward), it teased the essence of English soccer and raised expectations.
"I wanted to feel whether we could compete with world-class players," the hopeful sentiment was short-lived as the "Next Legend" team was overwhelmed by the physicality of Sunderland's youth team, bewildered by rough pressing, and repeatedly struggled. In one tense moment, Kang Dong-hwi, provoked by an opposing player's taunt, protested angrily, and a hair-trigger confrontation was captured as other players tried to restrain him, elevating the tension to a peak. The stronger the opponent, the more the burning desire to win surfaces with remarks like "I want to win no matter what," raising expectations.
Meanwhile, attention focused as a single player emerged who seized an official invitation for an entry test from the prestigious English club. With growing curiosity about who will be the recipient of the "dream league" invitation delivered into the hands of coach Lee Young-pyo, "Next Legend" reached a meaningful moment in which the show's goal of discovering next-generation global prospects became reality. It delivers touching emotion to viewers who have watched the player's growth while heightening anticipation about the journey the "last one" will embark on.
Episode 8 of "Next Legend," which brings the grand dream of moving to European leagues closer, will be released on Coupang Play at 4 p.m. on the 13th.
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