He expected that it would not be easy to get an Olympic ticket.
Gangwon FC came from behind to beat Suwon FC 2-1 in the 11th round of the 2024 Hana Bank K-League 1 held at Suwon Stadium at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Gangwon gave up the first goal to Lee Seung-woo in the 30th minute of the second half, but gave up the tying goal to Cho Jin-hyuk in the 41st minute of the second half. Then, in the 45th minute of the second half, Jeong Han-min scored a miraculous come-from-behind goal to secure three points.
Captain Yoon Seok-young, who started as Gangwon’s left back on the day, actively blocked Suwon’s strikers throughout the game. He had a fierce battle with his best friend Ji Dong-won, and had a physical fight with Jeong Seung-won, who had no choice but to confront him in terms of position. He also assisted Cho Jin-hyuk’s equalizer with a sharp kick in the 41st minute of the second half.
“It was a cross that I kicked after seeing Yago,” Yoon Seok-young told reporters in the mixed zone after the match, recalling the situation of the tying goal. “I knew there were two players nearby, including Yago, so I was going to give it to Yago’s head.” At the time of Cho’s tying goal, Yoon Seok-young’s cross flew towards Yago. However, the ball passed Yago and the tying goal was completed with the ball heading toward Cho in a blessing in disguise.
He also explained the background of Gangwon’s rise. Gangwon barely escaped relegation by ranking 10th in the K-League 1 last season. However, it is currently in fourth place, showing a different performance from last season.
“Last year, Coach Yoon Jeong-hwan joined the team and made efforts to stabilize the team. As a result, the team emphasized more defensive organization. However, starting from this winter training, the team focused on how to handle the offense. That’s why we managed the game well in that area,” Yoon said.
Next, Yoon Suk-young, who won the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, expressed regret over his juniors’ failure to advance to the Olympics. There was also a sharp analysis. The U-23 Korean national team, led by Hwang Sun-hong, was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation 2024 U-23 Asian Cup in April. Up to the fourth place were given tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics, but Hwang failed to win the ticket.
Immediately, soccer fans were disappointed. The same was true of Yoon Seok-young. “It must be heartbreaking and heartbreaking for soccer fans. However, when I heard that I had to participate in a competition to qualify for the Olympics, I thought there would be so many variables. In my time, we advanced to the Olympics after qualifying and final qualifying like in the World Cup. Even if one game went wrong, there were next opportunities, and tournaments have many variables. And as Hwang Sun-hong said, we need a systematic system for Korean soccer,” he said.
Lastly, Yoon Seok-young defended Ki Sung-yueng’s remarks, which had recently drawn attention. After the Suwon FC match on the 30th of last month, Ki said, “Korean soccer has not regressed.” As criticism continued against Korean soccer due to the butterfly effect of his elimination from the Olympics, he finally opened his mouth. 토토사이트
Yoon Suk-young, who has been with Ki for a long time in the national team, also agreed. “Young players these days are more daring and don’t feel intimidated in front of seniors. They are technically better, too. I agree that they have not regressed,” he said.