The fairy tale of Gangwon FC is over. Throughout this season, he made miraculous moves to win the throne, but ended up in revolt. However, his performances in 36 games were different and dynamic storylines of 36 times and were clearly imprinted in the minds of fans.
Gangwon lost 1-2 in an away match against Ulsan HD in the 36th round on Sunday, failing to seek the championship. Ulsan kept its position as the king despite Gangwon’s rebellion, and eventually established itself as the “golden crown” for the third consecutive K-League match. Gangwon had no choice but to watch its opponent’s victory ceremony in the away match, which took about four hours to arrive.
Individually and as a team, it was a match that differed in skills. Ulsan has relaxed and seasoned its players, centering on veterans. On the other hand, it faced a series of crises as it failed to properly respond to several attacks from its opponents, and eventually dedicated its back-to-back goals. The players’ bodies, which had been running throughout the season with a not-so-thick squad, also looked heavy.
“I tried to do it, but I tried my best,” coach Yoon Jeong-hwan said after the match. “I tried to organize it rather than personal ability, but some players were nervous. Some players tried to do well, but I told you that it was hard,” he said. “The fight between David and Goliath was not easy.” Yang Min-hyuk also accepted the defeat despite his disappointment, saying, “If I lose today, let’s say let’s acknowledge the opponent, but the opponent seems to have prepared better.”
However, this is not the end. There are still two more games to go. The team is close to clinching the first Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League berth in the team’s history. If the team maintains its ranking through two matches, it will have a great opportunity to promote Gangwon Province to the Asian stage next season.
Yoon has also emphasized realistic goals rather than winning in interviews. “I don’t think about winning. I think I can challenge myself in the Champions League if I keep doing what I do now,” he said during the media day of the final round. The Yoon Jeong-hwan Magic that he has shown throughout this season is now aiming at the Champions League.
Aside from the title, Gangwon displayed sensational performance this season. They freely exchanged three-back and four-back even during the game, and placed the center of gravity of the offense and defense as far as possible. As a result, the team ranks first in scoring the most with 61 goals in 36 games, and fans are enthusiastic about hot attack soccer and filled the Chuncheon and Gangneung stadiums. 안전놀이터
The players’ change of positions has strengthened the team. At the end of last season, Hwang Mun-ki, Lee Ki-hyuk, and Lee Yoo-hyun moved from their positions to the positions the team wanted, further strengthening the team. In addition to the team’s success, this has resulted in stellar individual performances, and Hwang and Lee have even been selected for national teams.
We called it a fairy tale after seeing Leicester City win the Premier League in 2016. Gangwon-do wrote a similar story, but the ending was a little different in the end. The fairy tale did not go to the happy ending, but the history of the strong one-team is still being written today and their journey is still beautiful.