Jeonbuk Hyundai took the first round with difficulty.
Jeonbuk won 2-1 with Jeon Jin-woo's winning goal in the 38th minute of the second half in the first round of the playoff against Seoul E-Land at Mokdong Stadium on the 1st. Jeonbuk, which was in danger of being demoted for the first time in its history, took a breather by catching the first game. E-Land, who is trying to win his first promotion, fought well, but unfortunately, he promised to play the second game.
The atmosphere was hot even before the game. 12,64 tickets were sold out in 10 minutes from the ticket sales that began at 11 a.m. on the 27th. N seats were sold out in four minutes after the opening, and W seats and E seats were also sold out in seven minutes and 10 minutes. Immediately after the opening, the number of people waiting for the reservation site reached 1,500. Encouraged E-Land opened an additional 1,893 E- and S-seats excluding on-site reservations, which sold out again in less than an hour. E-Land, which succeeded in surpassing 10,000 spectators only by pre-booking, reserved the largest number of spectators in the club's history. The previous record was 9,527 against Samsung in Suwon in August. Jeonbuk supporters are also engaged in an all-out war. All 3,300 away seats were filled. As many as 12 away buses headed to Mok-dong on that day. A total of 13,205 spectators visited E-Land, making a new history.
The reason why the interest is so hot is because of the importance of the first game. In the past, the K League 1 team won six times and the K League 2 team won six times. It was tight. There is an important record. This is the result of the first round. There were only two cases where they lost the first game and succeeded in turning the tables. Gangwon FC in 2021 and Suwon FC in 2023 made yooi. In the end, the key is not to lose the first game. In other words, it has an 83 percent chance.
Both teams went all out. E-Land coach Kim Do-kyun took out an anomaly card. Montagno, Kim Shin-jin, and Lee Jun-seok stepped up as a three-top. I saved Bruno Silva and Byun Kyung-joon for now. Osmar Seo Jae-min and Baek Ji-woong were placed in the waistline. Park Min-seo, Lee In-je, Kim Oh-gyu, and Kim Min-gyu made a four-back. Moon Jung-in defended the goal. Lee Ki-hyun, Gwang-hoon, Park Chang-hwan, Cho Young-kwang, Bruno Silva, Byeon Chang-joon, and Jung Jae-min sat on the bench.
Jeonbuk coach Kim Doo-hyun has chosen the straightforward method. Thiago and Kim Jin-kyu came out as two-top players. Moon Seon-min, Lee Young-jae, Korean Young Kwon Chang-hoon stood at the waist. Kwon Chang-hoon's selection stood out. The four backs were composed by Kim Tae-hyun, Park Jin-seop, Yeon Je-woon, and Ahn Hyun-beom. Ahn Hyun-beom returned to the starting lineup. Kim Jun-hong wore goalkeeper gloves. Kim Jung-hoon, Kim Tae-hwan, Hong Jung-ho, Kim Ha-joon, Andrigo, Lee Seung-woo, and Jeon Jin-woo are aiming to play as a substitute.
Head coach Kim Do-kyun said "Jeonbuk came out as expected. You have to get through the midfield fight. In terms of mobility and technology, it is not the difference between heaven and earth, so you have to overcome it. As Osmar Kim Oh-kyu has experience in the first part, if they block Jeonbuk well, we have a possibility. Moon Sun-min is a key figure, and he put Kim Min-kyu, the fastest among our defenders, in the right fullback, not in the center."
Then "It's a little more tense than the match against Jeonnam." He said to do his best and enjoy the game because it was made by the players. It doesn't feel like we were in a relegation battle at Suwon FC last year"Jeonbuk will be under more pressure. I think this part will affect the performance. Rather than putting it down, I'm going to do my best comfortably.'
Director Kim Doo-hyun said, `The counter attack and set-piece are the advantages of the opponent. I prepared that part. We need to control the variables well.' The will of " must not be too far ahead. The exit could come out. We are in a position where we are challenged, but with this thought, we become complacent. Rather, it is important to take the challenger's position. "I think the strategy will vary depending on how the opponent comes out. First of all, it's important for the game or the atmosphere to adapt."
E-Land took the lead early on. In the first minute of the first half, Montagno caught the ball that Kim Shin-jin gave away from the center to the left. After beating one defense, he hit a left footed shot. I shook the side net. Jeonbuk immediately fought back. In the 6th minute, Kim Jin-kyu hit a powerful mid-range shot. Moon Jung-in did a good job.
Jeonbuk's offensive continued. Made a corner from the left of the 7th minute. Following a short pass, the ball placed in the center was connected to Kwon Chang-hoon. The no-mark shot hit the defense and was out. In the 10th minute, Kwon Chang-hoon, who received a rear pass, shot in a mixed situation. He came out after hitting the defense.
18 min Ahn Hyun-bum got a free kick from the right side of the box. Lee Young-jae received a short pass from Kim Jin-kyu and tried to shoot. He came out after hitting the defense. Jeonbuk pushed to increase its possession, but E-Land's defense was solid. A battle of one step and one step followed. In the 22nd minute, Park Min-seo saw the goalkeeper from a distance and shot. It went over the net.
In the 37th minute, Jeonbuk scored the first goal. Moon Sun-min stabbed Kwon Chang-hoon in the center. Kwon Chang-hoon gave it back to Moon Sun-min, who was jumping in after a 2-1 pass with Thiago, and Thiago, who received Moon Sun-min's pass, finished it nicely. E-Land fought back, but the finish was a shame.
At the start of the second half, head coach Kim Do-kyun showed a winning move. Except Lee Joon-seok, Montagno, and Lee In-je, Bruno Silva, Byun Kyung-joon, and Kwang-hoon were added. Turned Osmar up and into an aggressive four-back. E-Land pushed hard from the beginning. In the second minute of the second half, Bruno Silva's cross went back. Park Min-seo's left foot shot hit the defense and was out.
E-Land, who gained momentum, scored an equalizer. In the third minute, Osmar hit a corner kick from the right by Park Min-seo. E-Land, which gained momentum, further increased the level of its offensive. He created an opportunity by strongly pressing the opponent from the top.
10 min E-Land went on the counterattack. Osmar's pass was connected to Baek Ji-woong. Baek Ji-woong connected to Kim Shin-jin, who was penetrating forward. Kim Shin-jin tried to shoot with his left foot, but he headed in front of goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong.
Jeonbuk also fought back. 12 min Thiago sent the ball to the middle. Kwon Chang-hoon, who was a no-mark in front of the arc, fired a powerful left-footed shot. Goalkeeper Moon Jung-in blocked it well. In the 14th minute, Jeonbuk took out Moon Seon-min and put in Jeon Jin-woo.
15 min E-Land created a good chance. Osmar fired a sharp left footed shot from the front of the arc. Kim Jun-hong blocked it nicely. Jeonbuk, which is in a hurry, chose two changes.Except for Ahn Hyun-beom and Kim Jin-kyu, Kim Tae-hwan and Kim Ha-joon were added. E-Land was also replaced right away. He added Jung Jae-min instead of Kim Shin-jin.
30 min E-Land went on a counterattack. Bruno Silva, who received Park Min-seo's sharp pass from the left, broke through with his fast feet. He dug into the center and stabbed Jung Jae-min. Jung Jae-min tried to shoot with his left foot after beating one defense. He came out after hitting the defense.
Jeonbuk has a winning move. In the 32nd minute, Kwon Chang-hoon and Han Kook-young were excluded, and Lee Seung-woo and Hong Jung-ho were added. Jeonbuk made changes with three backs.
38 min Jeonbuk took the lead again. Kim Tae-hwan dug into the right and scored a sharp cross. Jeon Jin-woo returned it with a header, making Jeonbuk's second goal. E-Land took out Baek Ji-woong in the 42nd minute and put in Park Chang-hwan. 43 min E-Land's mistake led to Jeonbuk's opportunity. Moon Jung-in's mistake was linked to Thiago. Thiago's shot hit the post. In the ensuing mixed situation, Kim Min-kyu cleared it just before crossing the goal line.
E-Land went all out at the last minute. The extra time was five minutes, but no more goals were scored. Jeonbuk laughed 2-1. The second game will be held at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the 8th.
vanbasten@sportschosun.com
