“I can’t thank my players enough for giving 200 percent of themselves every game, until I can’t squeeze it anymore.”
‘Sharp Ball Magic’ Suwon FC head coach Kim Eun-joong thanked his players after securing the top split in his first season as a professional coach.
Kim’s Suwon FC, which has been consistently ranked between third and fifth throughout the season due to the team’s cohesiveness and refusal to lose every game, has been in crisis recently. The club stood firm after the departure of its attacking nucleus, including Lee Seung-woo and Kwon Kyung-won, in the summer transfer window, but faltered sharply after “Commander-in-Chief” Son Jun-ho was named to the Chinese Football Association’s “Permanent Ban” list on Tuesday for match-fixing. Anbangseo lost back-to-back matches, 0-6 to Jeonbuk on Sept. 14 and 2-4 to Gimcheon on Sept. 21. However, Jeju’s 2-0 win over Gwangju on the 22nd kept seventh-ranked Gwangju on 40 points, and with two regular-season games left, the top and bottom of the table were separated by more than six points with fourth-ranked Suwon (48 points), fifth-ranked Pohang and sixth-ranked Seoul (47 points). Suwon FC, which finished in the relegation zone last year, 카지노사이트 추천 secured a ‘thrilling’ promotion to the top flight for the first time since 2021.
Ahead of two tricky away games against Seoul and Pohang, Kim welcomed the top split as a gift in the midst of a two-game losing streak. The team has been racking up points without letting the crisis get to them. Kim, who took the reins of Suwon FC last year after the club finished 11th in the league, conceded the most goals in the league and fought a relegation battle, has never actually stated a ‘higher’ goal. He only talked about the goals of “reducing the number of goals conceded, becoming a team that is not related to relegation, preparing fiercely for every game like a final, and playing with all our might.” “Game by game, we were more concerned about the teams below us than the teams above us. We were busy running away, but now we have to chase the teams above us,” he said. “Actually, the goal was to be stable and stay out of the relegation zone. The top split was not expected or thought of by anyone. Our players have done the job. It’s a team that has changed a lot and struggled last year. This year, if it was going to be good, it was going to be difficult, but the guys always responded well. I have a lot to thank the coaching staff for all their hard work and preparation for every game.”
“Among the top 1-6 teams, Gangwon, Gimcheon, and us are teams that everyone would have thought would be fighting for the bottom split or relegation. Instead of aiming for the top split, we gave 200 percent in every game, and that’s how we ended up here, and I’m sure coaches Jung Jung-yong and Yoon Jung-hwan felt the same way,” he smiled. “Every coach prepares strategically for each team and prepares different strategies. Regardless of the leaderboard, the conditions and variables play a big role on the day. “Yesterday’s match was a tie between No. 1 Ulsan and No. 12 Incheon. Based on the standings, Ulsan should have won, but the result was a draw. This is why the K League is so tough. Every game is a final,” he said.
Most importantly, we’re proud of the players who have rebounded under Sharpball. Jeong Seung-won, who had only two assists in the past two years with Suwon Samsung, had a career-high eight goals and six assists. Ji Dong-won, who was desperate for a chance at FC Seoul, bounced back with five goals and one assist. With six goals and 12 assists, Andersson is the best foreign striker that every team covets and is wary of. With veterans like Lee Yong-woo and Yoon Beom-garam at the center of the lineup, young guns like Kang Sang-yoon (3 goals, 2 assists), Lee Jae-won (1 goal, 3 assists), and Park Chul-woo (1 goal, 2 assists) have also grown into their roles, scoring their first professional goals and tallying the most points. “All the players gave more than 200 percent and endured the tough times,” said Kim. I’m grateful that they didn’t shy away and played hard,” Kim said. The ‘Sharp’ coach, who once again proved his ability to maximize the strengths of his players and the reason for last year’s U20 World Cup upset, also mentioned the roster of players who played a key role in Gimcheon. “(Lee) Seung-won happened to score his professional debut goal against us. I called him and said, ‘Congratulations on your debut goal, but you’re a betrayal now, it’s over,’” he laughed. “I thought Gimcheon had a foreign striker,” he praised the ‘crazy left foot’ Lee Dong-kyung, who had one goal and two assists.
With the team in a good position and having already surpassed their goals, Kim’s message to his players is to “enjoy the challenge and have fun.” With only a few games left and a limited squad, it’s hard to make big changes, but he has faith in his existing players. “We don’t have to worry about going down now. In fact, of the top teams, we have the least pressure. I would say let’s enjoy it and challenge ourselves more,” he said.
The challenge continues for Sharpball, who is not dulling down. “We’ve done a big job, so I hope we can take the pressure off and not rest on our laurels and push each other to reach higher. A lot of players have achieved career highs this season, but I think they are still thinking, ‘I can do better. The moment you get satisfied, it’s downhill, so I hope they keep challenging themselves.”