Incheon United and Suwon Samsung couldn't decide the game in what could be a watershed game this season.
Incheon and Suwon drew 1-1 in the 33rd round of the 'Hana Bank K League 2 2025' held at Incheon Football Stadium on the 8th.
With this draw, Incheon (70 points) maintained a gap of 10 points with second-place Suwon (60 points).
It was an important match that will determine the game of the leading competition. The two teams are the most likely candidates to win the K League 2 this season, but Incheon was definitely ahead. Incheon, which has been in the lead since the beginning of the season, maintained its gap with Suwon until just before the 33rd round. The result of this game was a watershed moment for the lead fight. For Incheon, if it beat Suwon, it was an opportunity to solidify its lead and cross the nine-fault line to win the championship. Suwon had to beat Incheon to chase Incheon until the end. Incheon had won both of the previous two matches. Incheon Football Stadium was filled with fans of the two teams who wanted to be promoted, recording the second sold-out home stadium in the history of the Incheon club.
Incheon coach Yoon Jung-hwan brought up a 4-4-2 formation. On the front line, Park Seung-ho and Shin Jin-ho, and Jungwon were built by Gerson, Lee Myung-joo, Jung Won-jin and Barlow. The defense is Kim Sung-min. Kim Gun-hee, Kim Gun-woong, and Lee Ju-yong were present. Min Sung-joon defended the goal.
Suwon manager Byun Sung-hwan faced off with a 3-4-3 formation. Paulino, Ilyuchenko, Seraphim, and Jungwon worked together with Lee Kyu-sung and Hong Won-jin on the three-top. Lee Ki-je and Jung Dong-yoon were in the wingback. Jang Seok-hwan, Han Ho-gang and Cho Yoon-sung formed the line for the three-back. Kim Min-joon wore goalkeeper gloves.
Suwon lost a good opportunity early in the first half. In the second minute of the first half, Seraphim's low and fast cross after breaking through to the right flowed to Lee Ki-je, who was rushing to the other side. A powerful left-footed shot was not exactly right and headed over the net. Lee Ki-je also finished with a shot from the right side in the 9th minute of the first half, but it rose above the net.
Incheon also launched a counterattack. In the 10th minute of the first half, Park Seung-ho personally advanced to the front of the Suwon box and attempted a left-footed shot. Park Seung-ho's shot went to the side of the net with excessive winding. In the 12th minute of the first half, Lee Ju-yong stepped up as a kicker and raised the free kick obtained by Jung Won-jin to the door. Shin Jin-ho connected Barlow's header with a shot, but Suwon's defense blocked it with a hand-to-hand defense. In the ensuing attack, Lee Myung-joo's cross touched Park Seung-ho's head but turned away from the goal.
The two teams clashed fiercely in the midfield from the middle of the first half. Suwon eagerly targeted Incheon's back space, and Incheon hindered Suwon's offensive development from the high area with forward pressure. Suwon, which had a change in the defensive line composition, had difficulty in pressing Incheon, and Incheon was also burdened by the breakthrough of Suwon's wingers on both sides.
Suwon missed a disappointing opportunity. In the 27th minute of the first half, Paulino finished the pass that Seraphim gave after entering the box with a breakthrough from the right, but the ball was blocked by Kim Gun-hee's quick defense. In the 32nd minute of the first half, Seraphim tried to pass in the box again to Paulino after catching Paulino's pass in the counterattack, but Min Sung-joon quickly popped out and caught the ball.
Incheon also created a threatening scene at the end of the first half. In the 45th minute of the first half, Shin Jin-ho's pass touched the toes of Gervo, who was inundated. Gervo caught the ball in the box and calmly finished with a lobbing shot, but Kim Min-joon jumped up and caught it. In the second minute of extra time in the first half, Barlow received Shin Jin-ho's pass and launched a counterattack. Barlow's pass to the rushing Park Seung-ho was blocked and could not finish with a shot.
Despite the fierce process, the score did not explode and the first half ended 0-0.
After the start of the second half, the two teams slowly embarked on their search. In the 8th minute of the second half, Shin Jin-ho's free kick headed into the box, but it went over the net. The two teams made a replacement. In the 13th minute of the second half, Incheon put in Mugosa Kim Bo-seop without Shin Jin-ho and Suwon put in Park Ji-won without Paulino.
Incheon's mercenary skills hit the mark. 'Honorary citizen' settled. In the 20th minute of the second half, Mugosa looked at the position of opposing goalkeeper Kim Min-joon after receiving Lee Myung-joo's pass from the left side of the box arc and aimed for the corner of the goal with a sensuous kick. Kim Min-joon tried to lift himself up and block it, but the ball shook the net as it was.
Suwon, which allowed the first run, went after it. In the 27th minute of the second half, Lee Il-Chenko finished with a header from Park Ji-won's cross into the box, but the ball flowed to the side of the net. In the 38th minute of the second half, Park Ji-won dragged the ball out of the corner into the center and finished with a right-footed mid-range shot, but headed over the net.
Suwon's replacement also played an active role, bringing the game back to square one. In the 40th minute of the second half, Ilyuchenko finished Park Ji-won's cross with a shot, but it was blocked by the defense. Lee Min-hyuk finished the ball that fell and split the Incheon goal.
Suwon worked hard to turn the game around. In the 7th minute of extra time in the second half, Kim Hyun and Ilyuchenko tried to shoot consecutively in the box, but they were blocked by the defense.
In the end, the game ended one-on-one.
On the same day, no points were scored in the match between Cheonan and Busan held at Cheonan Stadium, ending with a 0-0 draw. South Jeolla Province laughed with a dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind victory in the face-off between South Gyeongsang Province and South Jeolla Province at Changwon Football Center. Jeonnam was shaken by allowing Lee Jung-min to score extra points to Dan-rey after the first run. However, following Honan's chase score in the 18th minute of the second half, Valdivia scored two goals in extra time in the second half, turning the game around.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
