He changed “Yayu” to “Cheers.” It was a twist drama that was created by Hwang Sun-hong, director of Daejeon Hana Citizen.
Daejeon has succeeded in remaining in the top division of the K-League. Daejeon won 2-1 at the 37th round of Hana Bank K-League 1 2024 against Incheon United held at Incheon Football Stadium on Sunday. With 45 points, Daejeon widened the gap with 10th-ranked Jeonbuk Hyundai (41 points) to four points to secure at least the ninth place, the remaining Maginot line, regardless of the remaining games.
It was five months of magic. Hwang made a surprise comeback to Daejeon last June. He broke up with Lee Min-sung, who was his “promotion coach,” due to his poor performance. Contrary to his pre-season goal of challenging himself to the Asian Champions League, he fell to the bottom of the list with repeated injuries and sluggishness. Daejeon’s choice to look for firefighters was surprisingly Hwang.
His fans did not like him. Hwang was the first head coach of Daejeon, but he resigned in disgrace in less than a year due to conflict with the leadership. Moreover, just two months before his inauguration, he was even faced with a yoke of failing to advance to the Olympic finals in 40 years. “I had a lot of thoughts after receiving the offer. I don’t think I would have chosen it if it wasn’t for Daejeon. Will you fight or give up? I chose the former. I will not give up and fight,” he said, but fans showed negative response.
After breaking through the worst moment in his leadership career, Hwang has evolved to a higher level. Tactical management and team management were all different from the past. When Hwang opened his ear, he won the hearts of the team. He completed a new soccer through active communication with the coaching staff and made it into a one-team team through many meetings with the players to carry out the mission. Despite the enlarged squad due to the recruitment of many players in the summer transfer market, Daejeon united without any significant noise. Players ran like they were about to collapse every game.
Patience was bitter, but the fruit was sweet. In the midst of a seven-game winless quagmire, Hwang held on without wavering. He saw August as a showdown when recruiters adapted and key resources returned. Hwang’s aim was right. Team chemistry improved remarkably and he gained ground with seven undefeated matches. In the meantime, Hwang defeated Gwangju, Seoul away, and Incheon jinx, which had been holding back Daejeon. As Martha, Kim Joon-beom, Bobshin, and Lee Soon-min took their place, he boosted his performance with cards of fast transition and strong pressure. The defense line, where Kim Hyun-woo took the center stage, also gained a sense of stability. “Compact soccer,” which Hwang emphasized so much, finally showed its power. 메이저놀이터
He suffered a brief crisis before the closing of the regular season by losing two consecutive games, but achieved his goal of staying in the top division by garnering three wins and one draw from four games after the split. Fans who looked suspicious also applauded, chanting “Hwang Sun-hong!” Hwang replied to the loud cheers from the fans. Just like he did when he was a player, Hwang succeeded in rebounding by himself again this time. He did not smile. His sights are now set on 2025. Hwang said, “I still have a long way to go because I have to build a team that the fans can understand. I’m not going to let go of myself, and I’m going to challenge myself.”