Hwang Hee-chan shows signs of improvement as Wolves advance to Carabao Cup quarterfinals

Wolverhampton Wanderers beat fourth-tier side Gillingham 2-0 in the round of 16 at the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, advancing to the quarterfinals in new manager Julen Lopetegui’s first game with the club.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan reacts after missing a chance to score during a Carabao Cup round of 16 game against Gillingham at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England on Tuesday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Wolverhampton Wanderers beat fourth-tier side Gillingham 2-0 in the round of 16 at the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, advancing to the quarterfinals in new manager Julen Lopetegui’s first game with the club.

Korean midfielder Hwang Hee-chan returned from the Qatar World Cup in good form, coming on as a substitute and having a hand in both Wolves goals.

Despite the win it was a disappointing start to the evening for Wolves, who were unable to find the back of the net for 77 minutes despite facing the bottom club in League Two, the fourth tier of English football after the Premier League, Championship and League One.

That first goal came after Hwang was brought down in the box, triggering a penalty that Raul Jiminez had no trouble scoring.

The Korean midfielder was more directly involved in goal No. 2, running the ball into the right of the box before slotting a pass across to Rayan Aït-Nouri to slot into the back of the net.

That assist may seem fairly minor but it marks a huge achievement for Hwang, who had been in the midst of a huge slump before jetting off to Qatar for the World Cup.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Julen Lopetegui, left, talks to Hwang Hee-chan, center, and Matheus Nunes during a Carabao Cup round of 16 game against Gillingham at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England on Tuesday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Hwang has been struggling in front of goal with Wolves, failing to score since Feb. 24, a huge dry spell that now encompasses 26 appearances. He has picked up just one assist so far this season, in the very first Premier League game on Aug. 6, but has been quiet since then.

He’s only had one start across all tournaments so far this season, in the previous Carabao Cup game on Nov. 9.

But for the national team, it’s a very different story. Hwang is a Taeguk Warriors regular, appearing in almost every game as either a starter or a fresh pair of legs in the second half.

He had made four appearances for Korea this year before the World Cup, appearing for at least 60 minutes in every game he was available for and scoring two goals; against Chile on June 6 and Costa Rica on Sept. 23.

In Qatar, Hwang was only able to appear in two games as he struggled with a hamstring injury going into the tournament. He made those appearances count, coming on as a substitute against Portugal to score an injury time goal that carried Korea out of the group stage and into the round of 16.

Hwang also played the full 90 minutes against Brazil and tested things a number of times but was unable to add to the score line.

Hwang’s success in Qatar and his immediate impact upon his return to Wolves could mark a turning point for the Korean midfielder. The departure of Bruno Lage in October and the arrival of Lopetegui may also prove positive for Hwang — although they both claimed to have a good working relationship, Hwang never flourished under Lage.

Wolves have a few days to train before their back in action as the Premier League resumes following the World Cup break this weekend. Wolves will play their first game back against Everton on the road at Goodison Park in Liverpool on Monday.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]