Jeonbuk Hyundai, which has been embroiled in a fierce competition for survival, smiled broadly at the “well-prepared” table.
Jeonbuk defeated Jeju United 2-1 in the 32nd round of the “Hana Bank K League 1 2024” held at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on Sunday. Jeon Jin-woo’s header-winning goal in the second half gave the team an unbeaten run in six matches (four wins, two draws) to rank ninth (9 wins, 13 losses, 37 points). The team has also narrowed its gap with eighth-ranked Jeju, which is tied with 38 points, and Gwangju FC (40 points), which lost to Gimcheon Sangmu 0-2 on the same day, is also in the range of seventh-ranked teams.
Both strategies and replacement cards worked. Central midfielder Kim Jin-gyu, who was deployed at the forefront, scored the first goal in the 14th minute of the second half with the help of Lee Seung-woo, who was substituted in the first half, and in the 50th minute of the second half when the score was tied 1-1, Jeon Jin-woo, who was deployed at the beginning of the second half, scored a goal thanks to Lee Young-jae’s assist.
The home team continued its offensives from the beginning of the match. Rather than displaying authentic goalscorers like the match against the Daejeon Hana Citizen (0-0 draw), the home team constantly deployed Hernandez and Kim Jin-kyu, who are specialized in second-line offense, to the front and drove Jeju Island.
There were variables. Hernandez was injured in the 19th minute of the first half. Still, he didn’t shake because there were enough substitutes. When Lee Seung-woo was put in, the tempo went up further. Ahn Hyun-bum’s shot hit the post in the 36th minute of the first half, but he didn’t let go of the reins.
The team had its first result in the 14th minute of the second half. Kim Jin-gyu, who received Lee Seung-woo’s pass in the middle of the goalpost in Jeju, scored the goal with his right foot. “Kim Jin-gyu is good at game management and attack connection,” Jeonbuk coach Kim Doo-hyun said, meeting expectations.
Jeju, which mainly focused on long balls, succeeded in tying the game at 40 minutes in the second half by allowing striker Yuri Jonathan to score a penalty kick from Jeonbuk defender Park Jin-seop’s foul. However, the team couldn’t smile at the end. Jeonbuk’s concentration was brilliant at the last minute. Lee Young-jae’s cross from the left side was scored by Jeon Jin-woo as the final goal of the buzzer beater. 먹튀검증
After the game, head coach Kim said, “We prepared various attack plans and there were many positive parts. He even played a role given to replacement resources. The defense has become stronger, but we need to refine the finish more,” mentioning both the performance and the task.