After three games without a win, Gwangju FC head coach Lee Jung-hyo said he hopes to catch up on sleep during the break.
He also revealed that he hopes to continue the current momentum after the A-Match break through tactical preparation while getting enough rest.
Gwangju FC, led by Lee Jung-hyo, defeated FC Seoul 2-1 in the 16th round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium at 7 p.m. on Feb. 2, thanks to a goal from Lee Eun-hee and a late goal from Bekka.
With three points from four games, Gwangju escaped a three-match winless streak and moved up to seventh place in the standings, above Seoul and Incheon United.
As expected before the game, it was a tough match. With Seoul also dropping off in defensive situations, Gwangju struggled to penetrate the Seoul defense, as they have against other teams this season.
But Gwangju didn’t miss a beat. A bit of luck was also involved. In the 23rd minute of the first half, a mis-hit shot by Byun Jun-soo found its way to Choi Kyung-rok in an attacking situation. Choi’s left-footed shot was blocked by Baek Jong-beom, but the rebound was easily slotted home by Lee Eun-hee to give Gwangju the lead.
Seoul didn’t let up. Gwangju breathed a sigh of relief after the goal when Kwon Wan-kyu was called offside. However, in first-half stoppage time, they conceded again, this time to Kwon Wan-kyu, and the goal was disallowed, extending their goal drought to 15 matches.
Gwangju made a change in the second half with a substitution. They brought on Georgian striker Beka and Brazilian winger Gabriel, who is known for his strength on the flanks. Beka and Gabriel scored a goal in the 32nd minute to give Gwangju the lead and fulfill the faith of coach Lee Jung-hyo.
For just over 20 minutes of stoppage time, Seoul pushed hard, but Gwangju was able to hold on to the lead with the help of goalkeeper Kim Kyung-min and the defense to end the match on a high note.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Lee Jung-hyo said, “It must have been difficult for the players, the club, and the fans. I would like to thank 토토사이트 the players because I think they have established their manager’s dignity with the result on the field today, and I would also like to thank the people who came and supported them.”
“Becca has been working hard in our tactical meetings and training, so we put her on the field. Gabrielle is a player I was looking forward to when she came on as a substitute, so I was ready to see what she could do in the second half,” he explained.
When asked about the game as a whole, Lee said that Gwangju’s style of play allowed them to create chances and convert them into goals.
“Our soccer is the same,” Lee said. We try to take the initiative, be aggressive and create chances, and that’s coming out a little bit on the pitch. Again today, it’s hard to explain in detail, but I could see what the players were trying to do. It’s going to be tough, but I think we’re going to be able to attack in space,” he said, praising his players and looking forward to the future.
Of course, there were some disappointments. Gwangju failed to keep another clean sheet on the day, extending their unbeaten streak to 15 games since the opening match. It was especially disappointing that they conceded on a set piece, which was one of their weaknesses.
Coach Lee Jung-hyo said, “The head coach is in charge of set pieces. He is under a lot of stress. We haven’t scored from set pieces, and we conceded again today, so I think he’s feeling the pressure. Fortunately, the players worked hard and we came 토토사이트 back to win. I think I’ll be less stressed when I rest. I think we will find improvements and get better after the break.”
On the change in center back combination from Ahn Young-gyu and Popovic to Heo Yul and Byun Jun, he said, “I don’t think the aerial ball was weak. Because we had two players, we didn’t give up the second ball to the opponent and were more stable,” he said, adding, ”There were some inexperience. But with Byun Jun-soo and Heo Yul, the pressure on the opponent’s long balls and second balls was reduced, which helped the midfielders. Their positioning is also improving, so I’m looking forward to the future. If I teach them well, they will get better,” he said.
“I think Kim Kyung-min is more stressed than I am,” he said about the lack of clean sheets. Every time I play, I’m determined not to concede a goal. After she concedes, she says it’s her fault. I think there will be clean sheets in the future. If it comes out once, it will keep coming out,” she says, adding that if she finishes the match with a clean sheet once, the mood will be good from then on.
Gwangju will now take a two-week break from the A-Match. When asked how he plans to utilize the break, Lee Jung-hyo said that he plans to catch up on sleep.
“I haven’t been sleeping much lately. Even today, I didn’t sleep because I was up until dawn watching the game. I hope to get a good night’s sleep tonight, about 12 hours,” he said, adding, ”The main reason was that we changed our tactics in the second half. We are not satisfied with that and we are preparing to try new things with the players. We will talk to the players to refine it and apply it after the two weeks off,” he said, adding that he would not stop making tactical improvements.
