Stillyard Theater has reopened. Pohang Steelers beat Gangwon and escaped from six consecutive losses. We met a double-decision that confirmed our advance to the 'Saëns'.
Pohang secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Gangwon at 4:30 p.m. on the 22nd in the 31st round of 'Hana Bank K League 1 2024' at Pohang Steelyard. Pohang, which led with a strong fighting goal in the 5th minute of the first half, was equalized by Yang Min-hyuk in the 3rd minute of extra time in the second half, but did not give up and Giorgi shot a dramatic winning goal in the 5th minute of extra time to win a 2-1 victory.
Pohang, which has been mired in six consecutive league losses since beating Daejeon 2-1 in July, confirmed its advance to the final A group with a victory in seven games. While Pohang had 13 wins, 8 draws and 10 losses and 47 points, 7th-ranked Gwangju (40 points) widened the score by 7 points as it was 0-2 hit by Jeju at the same time.
With this, the fate of Sangs and Haas has been divided after 31 rounds. Six teams, including Ulsan Gimcheon, Gangwon Suwon FC, Pohang and Seoul, will play the split round in Haas, while six teams, including Gwangju, Jeju, Daegu, Daejeon, Jeonbuk and Incheon, will play the split round. Suwon FC, ranked fourth, has been on the award list for the first time in three years since 2021, and Seoul has been on the award list for the first time in five years since 2019.
Pohang coach Park Tae-ha put Giorgi as the top and set up a second line of attack with Kang Hyun-je, Hong Yoon-sang, and Lee Tae-seok. Auberdan and Kim Jong-woo, who returned from injury, were set up in the midfield, and Shin Kwang-hoon, Lee Kyu-baek, former Min Kwang and Wandelson built a four-back. The goal was left to Yoon Pyeong-guk instead of Hwang In-jae. Coach Park said Hwang In-jae fell into a slump, and backup Lee Seung-hwan suffered an adductor injury during training the day before the game, making it an inevitable choice. Yoon Pyeong-guk played in the league's official game for the first time in two years and three months since the Gimcheon Sangmu match in June 2022.
Gangwon coach Yoon Jung-hwan also made changes to the goalkeeper. Lee Kwang-yeon, a former representative of each age group, was brought down to the bench and Park Chung-hyo was put in about four months. With Gangwon having allowed multiple runs in the last three consecutive games, it was judged that a rebound in the atmosphere was necessary. He also touched on defensive tactics. For the first time this season, Kang fighting spirit, Kim Young-bin, Lee Ki-hyuk, and three-back cards were taken out. Kim Dong-hyun and Kim Kwang-guk were in charge of midfield, and Hwang Moon-ki Yoo In-su was in charge of both wingbacks. Yang Min-hyuk Lee Sang-hun and Kovacevic aimed for the goal.
In the first minute of the first half, Yoon Pyeong-guk was put to the test. Kovacevic's shot, which received a penetrating pass, flew in the direction of the goal. Yoon Pyeong-guk blew himself up and saved the ball. Yoon Pyeong-guk's good defense triggered Pohang's first goal. Five minutes later, Giorgi, who received Wandelson's pass in the opponent's box, quickly penetrated into the end line and stabbed a left-footed cross in the direction of the door. Kang Tu-ji, who was following, stretched his legs to block the ball, and the ball deflected off Kang Tu-ji's leg and headed into the goal. Kang Tu-ji suffered the bad luck of scoring his second own goal of the season in more than a month following the match against Gwangju in August. Pohang took the lead by scoring the first goal in eight games.
Around 15 minutes into the first half, Gangwon began to rush. Winger Yang Min-hyuk came down to the midfield and was involved in the distribution of the ball. Kovacevich and Lee Sang-hun also actively changed positions. In the 17th minute, Yang Min-hyuk's bold mid-range shot went over the net. Kim Kang-guk's volley hit the defense body in the 21st minute and was goal-lined out, and Hwang Moon-ki's mid-range shot in the 22nd minute was hit by Yoon Pyeong-guk. Cowering Pohang sought an additional goal with Giorgi's shot in the 26th minute, but it went wide over the net as its feet were strengthened.
Pohang tried to make changes early on. In the 28th minute, Kang Hyun-je, a 22-year-old resource, was called in, Jung Jae-hee was put in, and the offense was strengthened. In the 31st minute, Jil Sa-ra Gangwon filled the midfield with insufficient energy by putting in Lee Yoo-hyun instead of Kim Kang-guk. In the process of stopping Gangwon's quick counterattack, Lee Kyu-baek and Shin Kwang-hoon were warned one after another. 42 min Kovacevic's left footed shot hit the side net. The first half ended with Pohang leading by one goal.
Both teams faced the second half at half-time with no additional replacement. For more than 12 minutes, Hearn's shot went straight to the goalkeeper. The urgent side was Gangwon, but Pohang also replaced the players first in the second half. Lee Tae-seok and Kim Jong-woo were brought to the bench and Ahn Jae-joon and Han Chan-hee were put in. Gangwon had a decisive chance in the 18th minute of the second half. Lee Sang-hun hit the post with a kick aimed at the bottom left of the goal at the right diagonal point in the box. Pohang used up all the replacement cards in the 18th minute, excluding Lee Kyu-baek and Hong Yoon-sang and putting in Choi Hyun-woong and Baek Sung-dong.
In the 23rd minute of the second half, Gangwon almost faced a golden opportunity to bring the game back to square one. There was a scene where Yoo In-soo seemed to be tripped over by Choi Hyun-woong in the opponent's box. The referee declared no foul and no penalty after conducting a VAR on-field review. Ahn Jae-joon's curled shot slightly off the post.
In the 45th minute of the second half, when Pohang's league continued, Gangwon knocked on the goal again. Jeong Han-min, who received Ha Ji-chi's header pass, kicked the ball into the corner of the goal and Yoon Pyeong-guk saved it. In the third minute of extra time, Yang Min-hyuk connected Lee Yoo-hyun's pass with a non-stop shot to equalize. However, Pohang calmly cut the net two minutes later when Jorge was handed Ahn Jae-joon's pass. The game ended with a 2-1 victory for Pohang.
yoonjinman@sportschosun.com
