The Tottenham Hotspur loanee entered the match in the 83rd minute and was involved in the sequence that gave Westerlo what appeared to be a dramatic winner. Shunsuke Saito converted from the spot in the 97th minute, but Beveren’s Victor Olatunji headed home in the 102nd minute to rescue a point.
The involvement adds to Yang’s start to the month, after the South Korean winger scored his first goal for Westerlo. Football London described Saturday’s contribution as his first assist for the club. He has had to build his minutes following his involvement with South Korea’s under-23 side at the Asian Games.
Westerlo manager Issame Charaï has made clear that Yang still has work to do if he is to earn a more regular role. Speaking earlier this week, Charaï questioned the forward’s intensity both on the training ground and during matches.
“I haven’t seen enough of that intensity from Yang here so far. Not in training either. He still needs to grow in that area,” Charaï said, as reported by Football London.
The comments underline the challenge facing the 20-year-old during his loan spell in Belgium. Yang has shown flashes of his attacking quality, but his manager wants to see a higher level of consistency away from the ball as well as when he is carrying it forward.
Saturday’s draw provided a mixed outcome. Yang’s late contribution helped Westerlo move in front from the penalty spot, only for the hosts to concede in the final moments of a match that had already swung repeatedly between the teams.
The point came after a frantic finish in which Westerlo were unable to protect their lead despite the penalty. Olatunji’s second goal of the match arrived deep into stoppage time and denied the home side a victory.
For Yang, the match offered another useful appearance after a period in which first-team opportunities have been intermittent. He will hope that the penalty-winning involvement and his recent goal can help him build momentum, while Charaï’s public criticism makes clear that improved intensity remains part of the task.