Kim Cheon Sang-moo Lee Dong-kyung (27) is confident of winning the K League 1 Best Eleven category at the Hana Bank K League 2024 Awards.
Gimcheon lost 1-3 in the final match of the 38th round of the K League 1 2024 between FC Seoul and Hana Bank at Gimcheon Stadium at 2 p.m. on the 23rd.
Although it failed to achieve a successful finish, Gimcheon had the most successful season in the history of the Sangmu Football Team. It settled in the third place (18 wins, 9 draws and 11 losses, 63 points), breaking the highest ranking since its foundation (4th in Sangju in 2020), and enjoying the double celebration of Park Seung-wook and Kim Bong-soo being selected for the first time for the national team.
It is a remarkable achievement considering that the team was considered the “first candidate for relegation” before the season. Gimcheon, which achieved dramatic promotion last season, had 17 players discharged from the military in mid-2024, inevitably causing a power leak. Traditionally, when there was a discharge, the performance was on a downward spiral, but the performance was 180 degrees different this season.
Manager Jeong Jeong-yong was able to maintain continuity. Manager Jeong-yong boldly hired first class and second class players in preparation for their discharge from the military, and immediately put Park Chan-yong, Kim Kang-san, Lee Dong-kyung, and Lee Dong-joon, who joined the military during the season, into action as quickly as possible. Eventually, Gimcheon completely broke the public perception that it was weak in the summer and continued to compete for the championship until the end of the season.
Three players (Park Seung-wook, Kim Bong-soo, and Lee Dong-kyung) were also nominated for the year-end award ceremony. Kim Joon-hong (Jeonbuk Hyundai), who was nominated for the goalie, played in Gimcheon uniform until the middle of the season. In addition, coach Chung Jung-yong was also nominated for the best coach award.
Among them, Lee Dong-kyung is most likely to win the honor. Before joining the military in the early days of this season, he played in eight games for Ulsan HD, scoring seven goals and five assists, displaying “legendary performance.” Although he did not play in many games overall, it is undeniable that he made remarkable contributions to Ulsan’s three consecutive K League 1 wins. 스포츠토토
Lee Dong-kyung, who met reporters in the mixed zone (joint coverage area) after the game, said, “I’m personally looking forward to (winning the best-leven).”
“If I followed the seniors in Ulsan, it was the opposite in Gimcheon. Due to the nature of the team, the relationship between the seniors and juniors is clear, but I was able to show leadership with a little more maturity because I am older among the players. Coach Chung Jung-yong also emphasized the need for such a part,” he said. “I have individual goals, but as long as I am in the team, I have to be with them. Fortunately, the players are well aware of it, and a lot of fans came this year, so I gained even more strength,” he said, looking back on the season.
Asked how he will prepare for the next season, he said, “Many players may change for other teams, but we will keep going. If we consolidate our teamwork early in the season, we will be able to show better performance,” smiling. “My goal is to take a break and think calmly. This season has been very difficult. I think April-June was the hardest period since I visited the training center.”