Suwon Samsung's attack, which boasts the 'K League 2's strongest firepower', was silent in front of the 'K League 1 wall'. Jeju SK secured a pleasant victory on the road.
Suwon lost 0-1 in the first round of the promotion playoff (PO) against Jeju at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 3rd.
The two teams will play the second game at the Jeju World Cup Stadium on the 7th. Suwon needs a victory that will surpass the result of this defeat to be promoted. Jeju will be able to run the second game more stably at home.
They were two teams that had to overcome the frustrating reality, leaving behind the glory of the past. Suwon had to get out of the pain of relegation in 2023. He spent as much as two years struggling to find an opportunity to head to K League 1. In the first season of the K League 2, he remained in sixth place and failed to advance to the playoffs, but this season, he succeeded in strengthening his power by recruiting Lee Il-Chenko, Kim Ji-hyun, and Seraphim to compete for the championship. It failed to advance directly to Incheon United, but it immediately confirmed its advance to the promotion PO through a firm second place position. Jeju Island also decided not to repeat the pain of 2019. He fell to the bottom of the 2019 season and experienced relegation, but immediately succeeded in promotion to the K League 2 title. Jeju, which reached the Final A for the next two seasons, suffered from the 2023 season. Following the Final B for the second consecutive year, the PO fell to 11th place this year.
The two teams had clear points to focus on. Suwon showed off its best offense with 76 goals in the K League 2 this season. The offense led by Ilyuchenko was not at all behind the K League 1 teams. However, defense is an unsettling factor. He allowed 50 runs and nearly 1.3 goals per game. The sense of the game is also indispensable. For 10 days after the final match on November 23, he focused only on his own Cheongbaek match and training without any actual games. My senses were bound to become dull. On the other hand, Jeju had a good sense of play. It was also positive that it turned the mood around with a 1-0 victory over Ulsan in the final league match. However, since it was the first game in three days, physical problems could hamper the players.
Suwon manager Byun Sung-hwan chose the 4-4-2 formation. At the front, Lee Il-chenko and Kim Ji-hyun were at the front, and the midfield was composed of Seraphim, Hong Won-jin, Lee Kyu-sung and Park Ji-won. Four backs were built by Lee Kun-hee, Han Ho-gang, Leo, and Lee Ki-je. Yang Hyung-mo defended the goal.
Acting Jeju coach Kim Jung-soo faced off with a 4-4-2 formation. Yuri Jonatan and Nam Tae-hee, and midfielders Kim Seung-seop, Lee Hae-ro, Lee Chang-min and Yoo In-soo were on the front line. Kim Ryun-sung, Song Joo-hoon, Lim Chae-min, and Ahn Tae-hyun were in the defense. Kim Dong-joon wore goalkeeper gloves.
Suwon was aiming for a chance from the beginning of the first half. In the second minute of the first half, Suwon's shot by Hong Won-jin hit the defense and went off the goal line when a cross toward Seraphim flowed in front of the box. Jeju wanted to stably catch the ball from the back and solve the game.
Suwon looked for the gap under pressure. Lee Min-hyuk's shot in the 8th minute of the first half held the ball in front of the penalty box was also off the goal. In the 17th minute of the first half, Lee Ki-je's cross was finished with a header in the corner, but it was caught by Kim Dong-joon.
Jeju Island also aimed for opportunities little by little. In the 27th minute of the first half, Yuri Jonathan seized the ball directly through pressure and launched a counterattack. Kim Joo-na, who took over the ball, crossed from the left, and Yuri Jonathan finished with a header, but the ball turned away from the goal.
Suwon also fought back. Bruno Silva, who was waiting for Lee Ki-je's kick from the other side in the 29th minute of the first half, finished with a shot, but it went over the net. In the 42nd minute of the first half, Bruno Silva tried to shoot again in a counterattack, but the ball flowed to the side of the net.
The two teams finished 0-0 in the first half without scoring.
In the second half, when the balance of '0' was not broken, the offensive aimed at the opponent's goal showed no signs of stopping. It was Jeju that broke the balance. In the 20th minute of the second half, Kim Min-joon committed a foul in the process of blocking a manned player who drove the ball into the penalty area. The referee declared a penalty. Yuri Jonathan's shot as a kicker shook Suwon's net.
Suwon, which allowed a run, worked hard to bring the game back to square one. In the 27th minute of the second half, Ilyuchenko tried to finish Lee Ki-je's cross with a header, but the ball flew a little above his head. In the 40th minute of the second half, Lee Ki-je, who took a free kick from Seraphim as a kicker, raised it to the gate, but the ball was not reached by Lee Il-Chenko and gave it to Kim Dong-joon.
Suwon's offensive continued. In the first minute of extra time in the second half, Kim Hyun's mid-range shot was blocked by Kim Dong-joon's good defense, swallowing regret. In the 9th minute of extra time in the second half, Park Ji-won's shot also went straight to Kim Dong-joon.
In the end, the game ended with a 1-0 victory for Jeju.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
