Suwon FC head coach Kim Eun-joong breathed a sigh of relief at his team’s difficult situation.
Suwon FC drew 1-1 with Ulsan in the 21st round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 at Suwon Sports Complex at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
The result was Suwon’s first point against Ulsan in 10 matches. Ulsan, on the other hand, failed to win against Suwon for the first time since October 2021. Suwon FC remains in fifth place with 10 wins, four draws and seven losses (34 points), while Ulsan remains in second place with 11 wins, six draws and four losses (39 points).
Both goals came in the second half. Ulsan took the lead in the 16th minute of the second half when Ataru pushed his way into the box and scored with a low shot. Suwon FC equalized in the 28th minute when Kang Sang-yoon finished a cross from Jung Seung-won with precision.
After the game, head coach Kim Eun-joong said, “We have a lot of difficulties with the composition of the team. We conceded the first goal, but we attacked until the end with the support of our fans, and that’s how we got the equalizer. In a way, today was a good opportunity to beat Ulsan, but we drew. I want to say thank you to the players, and we will focus on recovery.”
Park Chul-woo, a winger-turned-side defender, made a surprise appearance. Coach Kim Eun-joong said, “He played very well. It could be a good problem to think about, but we don’t have any side defenders for Tuesday. I have a headache. I have a lot of things to think about.” “I think the team is strong because the players trust me and play the positions I want them to play. I’m grateful to the players. We are now a team that doesn’t give up even if we concede first. We will improve every game,” he said.
The ever-improving Kang Sang-yoon even opened the scoring. Coach Kim Eun-joong said, “His physical strength and physicality have improved a lot. His scoring ability has also improved a lot. When we went to the U-20 World Cup together, he didn’t score a goal, but he gained confidence while practicing shooting here. I’m also happy with myself. I feel like my training comes out on the pitch,” he smiles.
Son Junho came on at the start of the second half. When will we see him in the starting lineup? Coach Kim Eun-joong said, “He’s played four games now. He’s getting more and more playing time. Today, he came on in the second half. We’re preparing to increase his time in the next game as well.”
Suwon FC must now travel to Gimcheon next Tuesday. What is Kim’s biggest concern? “How to rotate the side defenders, who to play in the striker position…” he stammered, then added, “I think I’ll have to think about it after today. Anyway, I think Ahn Byung-joon should come soon. I’m grateful to the players for their hard work in the absence of resources.”
Flanker Andersson was also introduced as a center forward in the second half. “When you have a specialized striker, it’s much more aggressive to 무료성인웹툰 play on the flanks and you can do a lot more,” Kim said. Today, I had no choice but to put him on the front line to try to attack more. When we have Lee Seung-woo, we can play him up top, but we can’t do that now. I don’t have any other options,” he said with a wry smile.
“I don’t think it will be easy,” he said, “but it has to be customized to our team. It has to be tailored to our squad. I can’t have the squad I want. It’s the same for every manager. No matter how much money you have, you can’t get all the players you want, so you have to bring out the best in your players.” “This is my first year as a professional coach, but I would like to have a break in the hot weather. In Japan, they take three or four weeks off. I think they should take a break for the sake of the players and their performance.” He even made a suggestion for the K League.
The timing of Lee Seung-woo’s return from a hamstring injury is still up in the air. “I’ll ask him later when I go home,” Kim laughed when asked about his expected return date, before adding, “I’m preparing my body as much as possible, but I still have some minor injuries. I’d like to come back as soon as possible, but we have to drag it out as much as possible to protect the players.”