Suwon Samsung 'relegation crisis' dramatic victory created by desperation
It was a reversal drama with desperation for staying and tenacity for victory. Suwon Samsung, which was on the verge of relegation, overcame a numerical inferiority of 10 players and won a miraculous victory in the Suwon Derby.
Suwon Samsung beat Suwon FC 3-2 in the 36th round of the "Hana One Q K League 1 2023" at Suwon Stadium on the 12th.
As a result, Suwon Samsung failed to escape the bottom with seven wins, eight draws and 21 losses (29 points), but narrowed the gap with 11th-ranked Gangwon FC (30 points) again to one point, laying the groundwork for the promotion and playoff.
Suwon Samsung won the Suwon Derby after overcoming numerical inferiority
Suwon FC put forward a 4-3-3 formation. Kim Do-yoon, Lopez, and Kang Min-sung were in front, and Lee Seung-woo, Lee Young-jae, and Yoon Bit-garam were in charge of the midfield. Park Chul-woo, Gomes, Shinsegae, Oh In-pyo were in charge of defense, and Park Bae-jong was in charge of goal.
Suwon Samsung faced off in a 4-4-2 format. The two-top is made up of Werrick Popo-Ahn Byung-jun and the midfield is made up of Acosti-Kazuki-Lee Jong-sung-Basani. The defense was worn by Kim Tae-hwan, Park Dae-won, Kim Joo-won and Son Ho-joon, and the goalkeeper gloves were worn by Yang Hyung-mo.
It was a life-or-death game for both teams. They faced off with aggressive soccer. Suwon Samsung was disappointed in the 4th minute of the first half when Werrick Pope's shot following Basani's pass was blocked by the goalkeeper's defense.
The scene that poured cold water into the early good atmosphere occurred in the 14th minute of the first half. Kazuki was sent off after hitting Kim Do-yoon in the face with his arm after a rough physical fight.
Suwon FC, which had a numerical advantage, took the lead with the first goal in the 30th minute of the first half. Yoon Bit-garam's corner kick from the left was cried and Gomes finished with a header.
Suwon Samsung did not give up even in the face of despair. Acting head coach Yeom Ki-hoon sought to change the atmosphere in the 40th minute of the first half by putting Ko Seung-bum in place of Werrick Poppo. And he managed to turn the game back to square one in the extra time of the first half. In the right corner kick situation, the ball punched by goalkeeper Park Bae-jong hit the defender and spilled. At this time, Acosti fell and tried to shoot and shook the net.
Suwon Samsung, which finished 1-1 in the first half, succeeded in turning the tables in the eighth minute of the second half. Ahn Byung-joon broke down goalkeeper Park Bae-jong with a fantastic right-footed mid-range shot from Acosti.
But the joy was also brief. In the 15th minute of the second half, Kim Hyun scored Lee Young-jae's cross with his head to tie the game again.
Since then, the strategic confrontation between the two command towers has also been a sight to behold. Suwon FC coach Kim Do-kyun deployed Bautersson and Jeong Dong-ho instead of Lee Kwang-hyuk and Park Chul-woo. On the other hand, Suwon Samsung's acting coach Yeom Ki-hoon threw a game-winner by putting forward strikers Jeon Jin-woo and Mulich at once.
The goddess of victory raised the hand of Suwon Samsung. In the 33rd minute of the second half, a goal kick from the back headed to Suwon FC's side, and Mulich sent the pass to the penalty box. Kim Joo-chan's right-footed shot then went into Suwon FC's goal, making the score 3-2.
Until the final whistle, a slugfest was played. But none opened the goal. In the end, the victory was up to Suwon Samsung.
Suwon Samsung, fighting spirit to escape the bottom...the remaining two matches that are life-or-death
Suwon Samsung is a traditional soccer master representing the K League. However, he managed to confirm his stay at the end of the promotion playoffs last season, crumbling his pride. He dreamed of a rebound this season, but he was at the bottom of the list with no wins in 10 games (two draws and eight losses) since the opening, always staying below the rankings.
Even the effect of Suwon Samsung's change to manager Kim Byung-soo's system in May was useless. Head coach Kim Byung-soo stepped down and threw a super-strong shot to put Yeom Ki-hoon, who was a playing coach, as the head coach.
Suwon Samsung's realistic goal was to escape from the bottom of the direct relegation zone. The 10-11th place teams will play the K League 2 teams in the promotion playoffs. Suwon Samsung's struggle to avoid the last place was devastating. With three games left, Suwon Samsung remained at the bottom of the table, trailing Gangwon by four points.
If he lost the Suwon Derby, he was very unlikely to overturn Gangwon. Suwon FC also had an urgent way to go. Suwon FC, ranked 10th, will also be chased by three points if it loses to Suwon Samsung.
Suwon Samsung, which lost all three games to Suwon FC this season, was expected to be inferior. Kazuki's exit early in the first half was frustrating for Suwon Samsung fans. There was a shadow of defeat. But without giving up, one filled the weakness that was lacking. In the remaining 76 minutes, he overcame difficulties and won despite the bad news of fighting with 10 players.
Since acting coach Yeom Ki-hoon took office, he has surely achieved turning points. The remaining two games are also a challenge. It is a super match against Seoul in the 37th round, and the final round is a guillotine match against Gangwon in 11th place.