Can’t win until extra time 4-3
Professional soccer K League 1 Suwon Samsung’s new head coach Lee Byung-geun won his debut match following a penalty shootout.
Suwon won 4-3 in penalty shoot-outs following a 1-1 draw with Gimcheon in the third round of the 2022 FA Cup (round of 32) held at the Gimcheon Sports Complex on the 27th. Suwon is ranked 11th out of 12 teams with 1 win, 4 draws and 4 losses (7 points) until the 9th round of K League 1. As the team was sluggish, manager Park Gun-ha, who had been in charge since September 2020, voluntarily resigned on the 15th. While the league was on hiatus due to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League group stage schedule, Suwon appointed former Daegu manager Lee Byung-geun as the new head coach.
Lee was a founding member of Suwon in 1996 and played as a player until 2006, and served as Suwon coach from 2013 to 2018. From 2020 to last year, he served as the Daegu manager, placing Daegu 3rd in the K League 1 last season and also qualifying for the AFC Champions League. At his inauguration ceremony, the manager, who said, “I will wash away the sense of defeat from the players,” provided an opportunity to reverse the mood by defeating Kimcheon, who was ranked 6th in the K League (12 points) on this day. Director Lee said, “I went from hell to heaven. I think the power of Suwon will definitely come back as we go through difficult matches in the future,” he said.
In the 3rd round of the FA Cup, the K League 2 (Second Division) teams stood out. K-League 2 leader Gwangju advanced to the round of 16 by defeating K-League 1 second-placed Incheon 6-1. K League 2 Bucheon also defeated K League 1 Suwon FC 1-0. After a 0-0 draw once morest Changwon City Hall Football Club, the leader of the K3 League (third division), Seoul won 4-3 on penalty shoot-outs and entered the round of 16.
By Yoo Jae-young, staff reporter elegant@donga.com
