 |
| ◇photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association |
|
It's the 'absolute first round' in name and reality.
Jeonbuk Hyundai won again. It also turned the gap between the two goals. On the 19th, he was taken away from Pohang after conceding two goals in the first half, but scored three goals in the second half to complete 'Pelescore victory'. The number of undefeated matches (including the Korea Cup) that began with the draw against Pohang on March 16 increased to 21 matches (16 wins and 5 draws). The number of points reached 48 (14 wins, 6 draws and 2 losses), widening the gap with Hana Citizen (36 points) in the second-place match against Gangwon Province on the same day.
In terms of content, it is a match that Jeonbuk could have lost. Pohang scored two goals in the first half alone, showing everything it could show, including Ki Sung-yueng's sharp kick, Hong Yoon-sang's breakthrough, and Lee Ho-jae's decisive power. Without Jeonbuk goalkeeper Song Bum-keun's good defense, the result could have been even more.
Despite this, Jeonbuk was able to bring victory to 'the power of the bench'. Jeonbuk coach Gus Foyet put in Thiago Lee Seung-woo, Lee Young-jae, and Kwon Chang-hoon in the second half. As they made two goals, they turned the game to square one and laid the foundation for victory by Hong Jung-ho's theater goal in the second half of extra time. The process was as brilliant as the result of scoring. Lee Seung-woo scored by adding speed, breakthrough power, individual skills, and combination with Thiago, which is considered his greatest strength. Kwon Chang-hoon helped Thiago's equalizer header with a sharp cross from the side. Lee Young-jae helped maintain the heated atmosphere with free-kick shots such as scoring.
 |
| ◇photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association |
|
This is not the first time Jeonbuk has overturned the two goal difference. In the 19th round against Suwon FC on the 17th of last month, he gave up two goals in the first half alone, but won by scoring three goals in the second half. At that time, Lee Seung-woo, who is being used as a Joker in the second half, and Compagno, who was sitting on the bench after returning from injury, made a reversal. Coach Foyet's mercenary skills, which make a breakthrough through active use of replacement resources and tactical changes in an inferior situation, are impressive.
There were concerns that Jeonbuk had fewer starting rotations and narrow use of replacement resources in the unbeaten process. It is natural that the best players will be selected and replaced, but the narrow utilization is a potential negative factor in the long-term race league. Therefore, how good the backups perform was expected to be the key to leading Mercury. As the summer enters, the bench's capabilities explode, and it seems to be a strong driving force for the unbeaten team.
 |
| ◇photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association |
|
At the start of the season, Jeonbuk was considered a team that was far from the right to win. Last year, the aftermath of the league's 10th-place ranking and promotion playoff is expected to be significant. Coach Foye's K-League adaptation, his debut season, was also added. However, after four months of unbeaten performance, Jeonbuk not only leads the league by 12 points, but also advanced to the semifinals in the Korea Cup, raising its position to pursue the 'double (K League + Korea Cup win together). Looking at the current power alone, there is a prospect that the unbeaten will not be easy to break for the time being. Jeonbuk has regained the title of 'absolute first place', which it had when it won the Asian Champions League as well as the K-League.
 |
| ◇photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association |
|
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
