At 2 p.m. on the 2nd, Bucheon Stadium in Gyeonggi-do Province, where war clouds are lingering. FC Anyang won the K League 2 by 0-0 in an away match against Bucheon FC in the 38th round of Hana Bank K League 2 (second division) 2024. According to the automatic promotion qualification given to the K League 2 winners, it was promoted to K League 1 (first division) for the first time in 11 seasons since its establishment in 2013.
Anyang’s midfielder, who played more desperately for this moment than anyone else and overcame pain, finally found rest amid promotion. The more interviewed he was, the more he was able to find that he was a player who even dedicated his daily life to promote the team this year.
Sports Korea met midfielder Kim Jung-hyun, who led Anyang to its first K League 1 promotion at Anyang Stadium in Gyeonggi Province.
▶”Driving for less than 30 minutes to prevent hamstring injury”…A strong ‘promotion hero’ appears
Kim Jung-hyun, who played in 32 league games this season, defended Anyang’s defense line and swept away the opponent’s offense, becoming the “engine of winning Anyang.” However, there was a possibility that he would not be able to see this performance if he looked back before the start of the season. Although he left a farewell message to his fans in the first episode of Anyang’s YouTube content “Hello, Winter,” he can meet Kim Jung-hyun, who came back to the club to sign a contract wearing a suit after a dramatic renewal of contract with Anyang.
“After turning 30, I thought, ‘Would there be a chance to try again in K League 1 if not now?'” he said. However, in the end, the contract was not concluded, and I never thought about moving to another team other than Anyang when I remained in K League 2. To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations until the first meeting with coach Yoo Byung-hoon. However, when I had a practice match at the winter training site, I had high expectations.”
Kim Jung-hyun is a midfielder who fulfills the coach’s demands without saying much. Therefore, coach Yoo consistently used him as the starting pitcher throughout the season. Kim Jung-hyun visited the manager’s office after being summoned by coach Yoo during the season.
“In the 37th round match against South Jeolla Province, which would have confirmed the championship faster if it had won, I had allowed an equalizer in the second half and expressed my feelings to my teammates. The promotion was so desperate that I was also very disappointed in the game. After that game, the coach called me and said, “My passion is great, but I hope I can correct my actions.” At first, I couldn’t accept it because I felt that my teammates lacked desperation, but the more I thought about working hard in each position, the more I felt grateful and sorry. In the match against Bucheon, which confirmed the promotion, I played with the heart of “Let’s help the team members do better,” and I think I achieved a good result thanks to this.”
Kim Jung-hyun, who is so passionate about winning because he loves Anyang, lived his daily life with great restraint throughout the season to promote the team.
“Last season, I ran with the thought that it was the last game of every game, and I got a hamstring injury, maybe because of too much effort. I didn’t drive for more than 30 minutes this season to prevent it as much as possible because I had to lose two to three weeks even if I couldn’t. I rarely went out of Anyang in 2024. I’m really grateful to my girlfriend for her understanding. In addition, the physical coaches and trainers were so good at management, so I’m a year older than last year, but my performance improved.”
▶The strength to overcome facial paralysis and achieve promotion, “Anyang fans who support you without changing.” 메이저사이트
Anyang, which started the 2024 season with a refreshing 2-0 win against Seongnam, came out on top with five wins and one draw in as many as six games, and has never come down from the top since regaining its lead, which was briefly conceded by a loss to Suwon in the eighth round, to a 1-1 draw with South Chungcheong Province in the 10th round. It has defended its lead and even won the championship for about six months since retaking the top spot on May 4.
Of course, Anyang was not without crisis. It tried to widen the gap by having a showdown in round 32 with No. 2 Seoul E-Land by nine points, but lost the match, and lost the match to No. 3 Asan in South Chungcheong Province and Suwon, which lost in all games this season, for the first time in a row. The team showed the worst performance in the latter half of the season, which is the most important in terms of ranking competition. It was painful to see the main players at the back, including Lee Chang-yong, the captain and the core player of central defense, and Kim Jung-hyun, who contributed to defense by showing tremendous amount of activity in the midfield, were absent.