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| ▲ Lee Hyun-sik of Daejeon Hana Citizen (R) scores against Gangwon FC during the first leg of the K League promotion-relegation playoffs at Hanbat Stadium in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 8, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Lee Hyun-sik of Daejeon Hana Citizen (L) celebrates his goal against Gangwon FC with teammate Park Jin-seop during the first leg of the K League promotion-relegation playoffs at Hanbat Stadium in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 8, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Gangwon FC players react to their 1-0 loss to Daejeon Hana Citizen in the first leg of the K League promotion-relegation playoffs at Hanbat Stadium in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 8, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Daejeon Hana Citizen head coach Lee Min-sung (L) and Gangwon FC head coach Choi Yong-soo shake hands before the first leg of the K League promotion-relegation playoffs at Hanbat Stadium in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 8, 2021. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) football-playoffs
(LEAD) Daejeon beat Gangwon to move closer to K League promotion
(ATTN: ADDS details in para 10, comments in last 7 paras, 2 photos)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Dec. 8 (Yonhap) -- Daejeon Hana Citizen defeated Gangwon FC 1-0 on Wednesday to take a major step toward a promotion to the top flight in South Korean football.
Midfielder Lee Hyun-sik scored the match's lone goal in the 50th minute at Hanbat Stadium in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul, to lift his club to a crucial opening victory in the two-legged K League promotion-relegation playoffs.
The return leg is 2 p.m. Sunday at Gangneung Stadium, Gangwon FC's home in Gangneung, about 230 kilometers east of the capital.
The winner, to be determined on the aggregate score with the away goals rule in effect, will compete in the K League 1 next year. The loser will end up in the K League 2.
Daejeon Hana Citizen last played in the K League 1 in 2015. They finished the 2021 K League 2 season in third place and then survived two rounds of playoffs to reach the promotion-relegation showdown.
Gangwon ended up in these playoffs after finishing in 11th place, second from last, in the top division. They'd spent three seasons, from 2014 to 2016, in the second division before earning promotion to the K League 1.
The teams were scoreless in a quiet first half, but Daejeon broke the ice five minutes into the second half.
Midfielder Masatoshi Ishida drove the ball deep into the box and drew three defenders to himself. As they were caught watching the ball, Gangwon players left Lee Hyun-sik open near the penalty spot. And when Ishida set him up for a shot, Lee made no mistake as he found the top shelf past goalkeeper Lee Gwang-yeon.
Gangwon nearly leveled the score four minutes later, when Lim Chai-min's volley, set up by Kim Dae-won's free kick, rang off the right goal post and stayed out of the net.
K League 2 teams earned promotions in five of the seven previous promotion-relegation playoffs. Also, all five previous winners of the first leg went on to book their place in the K League 1 for the following season.
To extend K League 2 clubs' history of success in getting promoted, Daejeon will only need a draw on Sunday. But their head coach, Lee Min-sung, said Daejeon will not play passive football.
"Trying to settle for a draw is the most dangerous proposition for us," Lee said. "We've been an aggressive team all year, and we're not going to hold ourselves back just to play a defensive-minded game."
Even though Gangwon were one of the worst teams in the K League 1 this year, Lee said facing a top-division foe still presented challenges.
"They have so many skilled players, and this was an extremely difficult match. I am glad we didn't concede any goals," Lee said. "The next match will be just as tough. We have to concentrate even harder and keep building on things that we do well. We have to defend better and mount more effective counterattacks."
Gangwon FC coach Choi Yong-soo rued "small mistakes" in offensive buildups and shoddy coverage on defense.
Choi was hired in November, with two matches left in the season, to help rescue Gangwon FC from relegation. They had a draw and a win in their last two games to fall to these playoffs. And Choi, who won multiple trophies while coaching FC Seoul earlier in his career, could find himself in the second division for the first time.
"There is still one more game left, and I haven't thought about that yet," Choi said of possibly coaching in the K League 2. "We all have to focus on that next game. I am confident our players will bounce back from this and play a much different match at home."
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