Gangwon FC, riding a roller coaster, wrote a drama.
Gangwon won 4-3 with Kim Gun-hee's theater goal in extra time in the third game of the Asian Champions League (ACLE) league stage of the 2024-2025 season against Vissel Kobe of Japan's J-League at Songam Sports Town in Chuncheon on the 22nd. Gangwon, which caught the big fish, jumped to third place with two wins and one loss (six points).
Gangwon coach Chung Kyung-ho put the best member in this game as expected. Gangwon tied Daegu FC 2-2 in the 33rd round of the 'Hana Bank K League 1 2025' held over the weekend to confirm its advance to Final A. This is the first time that Gangwon has reached the Final A for two consecutive seasons. After escaping from the relegation crisis, coach Chung immediately declared "all-in" on the Asian stage. Coach Chung, who served as a backup in two previous ACLE games, including Shanghai Shenhua (2-1 win), Chengdu Longcheng (0-1 loss), fought back from the match against Vissel Kobe.
Vissel Kobe is Japan's best team in name and reality, having won two consecutive J-League 1 titles. Last season, he even lifted the cup and succeeded in 'double'. Gwangju FC coach Lee Jung-hyo lost 0-2 in the first round of the last season's round of 16 games "If we meet ten times, I think we will lose ten times." is such a high-class team that it said. At that time, Gwangju had a miracle of winning 3-0 in the second game. Coach Chung, who is playing ACLE for the first time, wanted to face Vissel Kobe the most. Coach Chung, who has been famous for detailed tactics since his coaching days, wanted to test his tactics against the strongest in Japan. Before the game, coach Chung said, "Vissel Kobe is a strong team, but we also have faith in our system. I will win for my new goal of making it to the round of 16 in ACLE"I'm determined.
The first half was perfect. Although Vissel Kobe excluded all of the key resources that have traveled around Europe, including YOOA Osako, Yoshinori Muto, Yosuke Ideguchi, and Kotoku Sakai, Gangwon's performance was remarkable. Gangwon pushed Vissel Kobe hard from the beginning. He scored the first goal in the seventh minute of the first half. Lee Sang-hun scored a cross by Kang Tu-ji with a right-footed volley shot. Two minutes later, Lee Sang-hun scored another goal, but Gangwon, which was unfortunately canceled due to Kim Gun-hee's offside in the previous process, scored an additional goal in the 21st minute. Mo Jae-hyun shook the Vissel Kobe net with a header from Kim Dae-won's cross from the right. The assistant referee declared offside, but the score was recognized as a result of an on-field review.
Gangwon scored its third goal in the 42nd minute. Song Joon-seok hit a powerful left-footed mid-range shot at the ball that flowed in the corner kick situation. Gangwon almost violated Vissel Kobe with a passwork that made him exclaim. Three goals were so disappointing.
However, the atmosphere in the second half has changed to 180 degrees. Vissel Kobe, who lost face, put in key resources such as Tasei Miyashiro, Daizu Sasaki, and Yuya Kuwasaki at the beginning of the second half. Vissel Kobe, who changed dramatically, chased Miyashiro in the third minute of the second half and Jang Patrick scored consecutive goals in the fifth minute. Gangwon put in Kim Kang-guk, Koo Bon-cheol and Lee Ki-hyuk to make all-out efforts to curb Vissel Kobe's rise. However, he finally allowed Miyashiro to score an equalizer in the 44th minute of the second half. Gangwon, which showed completely different appearances in the first half and the second half, eventually seemed to blow three points into the sky.
But the extra time miracle came. In a corner kick situation, Kim Gun-hee scored a dramatic goal during the match. Amid the variable of Mo Jae-hyun being sent off at the last minute, Gangwon, who went from heaven to hell and back to heaven, laughed at the end.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.