Lee Young-jae, who saved professional soccer’s K League 1 Suwon FC from direct relegation with a stunning free-kick, credits his confident shot as the key to the equalizer.
Suwon FC drew 1-1 with Jeju United in the final match of the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 Final B at Suwon Sports Complex on Sunday.
After conceding a goal to Kim Gun-woong in the first five minutes, Suwon FC equalized with a free kick from Lee Young-jae in the fifth minute of the second half.
At the same time, Gangwon FC and Suwon Samsung drew 0-0 at Suwon World Cup Stadium.
It was a golden goal that saved Suwon FC, who were facing automatic relegation from the K League 2 if they lost.
Lee breathed a sigh of relief in the post-match interview, saying, “I’m happy to be in the promotion playoffs (PO), and I think we got the result we wanted thanks to the support of many fans.”
“I tried to block the goalkeeper’s view as much as possible,” Young-jae said of the free-kick equalizer, “I thought Jeju goalkeeper Kim Dong-joon would feel overwhelmed if Yoon Beetgaram and I stood together. I even advised him that if he kicked it into the goal, it would go in,” he recalls.
“The free kick position was also good, and the players stood well against the wall,” 카지노사이트 he said, adding, “I think the confidence that I could score if I just kicked it into the goal led to the goal.”
Lee Young-jae, who is also the captain of Suwon FC, said that the team felt the relegation crisis before the final game.
“Until the last game against Gangwon, we were less aware of the crisis, and I think we lacked the sense of urgency than Gangwon,” he said, “We emphasized the sense of crisis and urgency before the game.”
Suwon FC will now host Busan I-Park, the second-place finisher in the K League 2, on the 6th and 9th for a two-game promotion PO.
“It’s natural to have a sense of urgency while preparing for the PO,” said Lee Young-jae. “It should be a place to prove why we are a first division team. If we believe in each other with the idea of surviving unconditionally, we will have a good result.”
Lee Young-jae, who returned to Suwon FC after resigning from Gimcheon Commerce in June, said, “Busan is an organized team with a good buildup,” and predicted, “Suwon FC has a very good offense, so if we pay more attention to the defensive part and prepare, we will be able to beat Busan.”
“Suwon FC’s current strength is much better than Gimcheon. We will be able to play a different and better game than in Gimcheon,” he said with confidence. 사설토토