All K-League 1 regular league schedules have ended. Veteran Pohang Steelers defender Shin Kwang-hoon, who confirmed his advance to Final A, firmly believed that if players are united in every game, he will bring good results.
Pohang drew 1-1 at home against Suwon FC in the 33rd round of Hana Bank K League 1 2024 (final round of the regular league) at Stillyard in Pohang on the 6th.
What a disappointing result. Pohang took the lead with An Jae-joon’s first goal just before the end of the first half. It seemed to be gaining momentum by banking on a one-point lead, but it had to earn only one point due to Ji Dong-won’s strike in the extra time of the second half.
Pohang, which already confirmed its advance to the Final A, maintained its fourth position with 14 wins, nine draws and 10 losses (51 points) as of the 33rd round. It is 10 points behind Ulsan HD (61 points), five points behind Gimcheon Sangmu (56 points), and four points behind Gangwon FC (55 points). Although the team failed to narrow the gap by failing to secure victory on the day, it will be able to find a higher position depending on the results of the final round.
Pohang, which faced a disappointing result with Suwon FC, was strongly criticized by head coach Park Tae-ha on the day, unlike usual. Since late July, it has been in an all-time slump, recording its first six consecutive losses since the club’s foundation, but since the last match against Gangwon FC (31 rounds), it has succeeded in changing the atmosphere with three consecutive wins against Incheon United (32 rounds) and Shanghai High River (ACLE).
However, coach Park Tae-ha seemed to be on “alert again” over the upturn that has returned. Before the game, he demanded players to maintain high concentration in the game, saying, “They should not be lazy.” However, he ended up regretting by losing a point at the last minute against Suwon FC.
Coach Park Tae-ha said after the match, “I lacked concentration in the last minute. I made mistakes when I told the players that I should not show any physical problems because we played one more game during the week. Not only our performance but also our lack of concentration and physical problems should be improved,” adding, “I am trying to make up for this.” I hoped that the players of today’s game would try to win until the end. I hope that they will show that kind of attitude as they did when preparing for the match against Gangwon Province, but it is not easy. I hope that the players will also look back on this match.”
Shin Kwang-hoon, a veteran player of the team, also concurred. “I think today’s result is a game that can happen during the season. The damage is huge. I am angry. Still, all the players did a great job. I thought I performed well as I prepared, but I felt empty as I lost the last set piece,” Shin said.
“The coach also mentioned this part, and he talked about the fact that we couldn’t manage the game smarter in the locker room. We had a chance to run 2-0 and 3-0. If you can’t run away when you have a chance in soccer, you can get a blow at any time. I played with the mindset of doing well, but the players should reflect on the repeated mistakes. We have no choice but to increase our concentration in the upcoming game,” he said.
The “laziness” that coach Park Tae-ha pointed out is not what players usually do. He wanted to lead the game to the end and win. Shin Kwang-hoon said, “Now we are in the final round. We have six points in every game. It will be important for players to predict and focus on all situations including the 5:5 situation and the ball competition. Things that were not shown during the training are not shown in games of course. That’s why I hope we can play together more actively from the training.” 먹튀검증
“We must not forget the efforts we made during the past six consecutive losses. There is no way to show how hard we made to overcome the slump, but the players had a hard time,” he said. “There are times like this in life, too. When there are good times, there are bad times, too. It is important how wise and sincere you are. We endured the slump. I think we can set more unbeaten records. We have about 10 more games to go, including ACLE and the Korean Cup, and we must pour everything into the remaining games.”
Lastly, as a veteran of Shin Kwang-hoon’s team, he said, “There are no players in our team who are selfish to shine. Everyone always fights for the team. I hope they gather those feelings more earnestly. If you add your heart one by one, your heart will grow. I think I will be able to show better performance to the fans and have good luck with the shot that hit the goal. I can’t guarantee that I will prepare the way I prepared after six consecutive losses in every game, but if the players add more heart and gather more, I think I will prepare close to him and show good performance.”