Lee Young-pyo Leads Revamped FC Anaconda in Do-or-Die Match on SBS

Former South Korean national team defender Lee Young-pyo is stepping into a new role on the sideline. He has been named head coach of FC Anaconda on SBS's women's football variety show "Kick a Goal" (Goal Ttaerineun Geunyeodeul), taking charge of a team trying to claw its way back into the league.

On the show, FC Anaconda once carried the nickname "the icon of losses and tears." The team finished with a painful record of two wins and 17 losses across 19 matches, and was cut from the league twice. While it was away, the other teams on "Kick a Goal" only got stronger, and a return has started to look like a steep climb.

To rebuild the squad, producers held an open casting call. Out of 28 applicants, only six made the cut. They joined the remaining original members Noh Yoon-ju, Park Ji-hye and Bae Hye-ji to form a project team called Kkumteul-conda. To fill the gap in goal, the show brought in former volleyball program reporter Shi Eun-mi, nicknamed the "iron wall goalkeeper." That rounded out the 10-player roster.

Lee Young-pyo arrives with a strong track record on the show. He won both the first and second seasons of the G-League, earning a reputation as the coach with the top win rate. "When Anaconda comes back, it can't stay 'the team that loses' again," he said.

The upcoming match is a make-or-break moment. A win means Kkumteul-conda returns to the league under the FC Anaconda name. A loss means another open-ended wait.

When the players walked into the locker room on match day, white vests were hanging in place of team jerseys. It was a blunt reminder that they had not yet earned the right to wear the FC Anaconda kit. Original member Bae Hye-ji broke into tears. "It was so sad that we couldn't wear the FC Anaconda uniform to today's match," she said.

The episode airs at 9 p.m. KST on "Kick a Goal."

Off the field, Lee Young-pyo has been in the news for a different reason. He recently criticized the South Korean men's national team after its loss to South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the performance had "no structure and no purpose." He also said the coaching staff shared much of the blame.