A glimmer of hope saved from the brink. Suwon Samsung pushed the fight for the bottom of the table into chaos with a ‘miracle winner’ at the toe of the boyhood club.
The three teams in the K League 1 relegation zone are in a dogfight. 10th-ranked Suwon FC (32 points), 11th-ranked Gangwon FC (30 points), and 12th-ranked Suwon (29 points) are all within three points of each other. This means that one game can change everything.
On the 11th, Gangwon FC defeated eighth-placed Daejeon Hana Citizen (47 points), who had already clinched their spot, and on the 12th, ‘last place’ Suwon came from behind to defeat Suwon FC 3-2 in the final ‘Suwon Derby’ of the season. After failing to secure a point in the head-to-head, Suwon FC was unable to improve their goal difference and completely erase the possibility of finishing last.
The game was as intense as the two teams were desperate. Before the game, acting Suwon head coach Yeom Ki-hoon said, “Of course, we are under pressure, but I think we will show our will as we have to keep up,” adding, “We can only show what we have prepared.” Kim Do-gyun, head coach of Suwon FC, said, “If you prepare with the mindset of a draw, it will be poison. We will be aggressive and go for the win. The same goes for the opponent, but we also prepared with an emphasis on scoring,” but it was Suwon who had the last laugh.
Suwon FC took the early lead. Suwon Kazuki was sent off in the 14th minute for intentionally pushing Suwon FC’s Kim Do-yoon, resulting in a direct free kick. With the numerical advantage, Suwon FC took the lead in the 30th minute through Hugo Gomes. But Suwon was desperate. They stuck with the back four formation they had used before Kazuki’s sending off, and Acosti equalized just before halftime.
The pressure was on. Suwon’s Ahn Byung-jun pulled one back in the eighth minute of the second half, but Gilseora Suwon FC responded with a header from Kim Hyun-i in the 15th minute of the second half that rattled Suwon’s net. With both teams desperate for a point, there was no time to back down, but Suwon scored the winning goal. In the 23rd minute, Kim Joo-chan, who was born in 2001 and is known as the “boy wonder,” got a good landing spot on the ball from Mullich and calmly slotted it into the back of the net before running towards the supporters’ section and roaring.
The roar of the Suwon fans, who filled the away section despite being away from home, was as loud as the sky, and Suwon earned their seventh win of the season. The game situation and result fit the tagline ‘Suwon is always strong in crisis’.
It was Kim’s fifth goal of the season, and Suwon has never lost a game in which he scored. Because of his ability to score goals when the team needs them most, Kim is sometimes referred to as the “boy captain. “Everyone tells me to do whatever I want to do when I get on the field and enjoy myself. They believe in me and say good things, so I’m confident. I’m grateful that I was lucky enough to score a goal that contributed to the team’s victory 카지노사이트.”
Yeom added, “He’s young, but he has a lot of confidence and determination. Whether it’s a starter or a substitute, doing your part and bringing home the win is something that seniors should emulate.” He praised Kim Joo-chan, saying, “It was a much-needed win for us, and we didn’t give up even when we were short-handed. I didn’t do anything. The players did it. They did so well that I don’t know what to say,” he said.
Now, Suwon will have their work cut out for them in their remaining two games, as they aim to avoid direct relegation to the ‘bottom’. “I hope we can gain confidence from this match,” said Yeom.