Lee Ho-jae took care of director Park Tae-ha, creating a family-like scene.
The Korea Football Association hosted the 2024 Hana Bank Korea Cup semifinal match draw and media day at 3:30 p.m. on the 5th at the Korea Football Center located in Sinmun-ro, Seoul. Pohang Steelers were attended by head coach Park Tae-ha and Lee Ho-jae, Ulsan HD was attended by head coach Kim Pan-gon and Kim Ki-hee, Gwangju FC was attended by head coach Lee Jung-hyo and Jung Ho-yeon, and Jeju United was attended by head coach Kim Hak-beom and Lim Chae-min.
Before the match draw, the coaches and players sat by their respective teams and shared their thoughts on the semifinals. “Actually, I had a hard time reaching the semifinals. I am a defending champion, but I was new to the Korea Cup. The match against Suwon in the round of 16 was also difficult. Since we won last year, I think the players will know how to play. I will do my best to produce good results. Regardless of who wins, qualified teams have gathered. It is a difficult question to choose a candidate. Still, I think Pohang, which won last year’s championship, will have an advantage,” Park said.
Lee Ho-jae said, “We are the defending champions, so I think we are a strong favorite. The reason we are the favorite is because of Pohang’s unique performance.”
Coach Park Tae-ha hosted the Media Day with Pohang’s muffler on his shoulder. However, the muffler Park was not neatly arranged and open. Lee Ho-jae, who was sitting next to him, did not miss it. Lee Ho-jae personally fixed the muffler and took good care of the coach Park Tae-ha.
Ahead of this season, Park Tae-ha took the helm of Pohang. Coach Kim Ki-dong, who turned Pohang into a strong team, left for FC Seoul, and Park Tae-ha filled the vacancy of the coach. Park Tae-ha has not changed much from Kim Ki-dong’s color and has maintained good performance this season. Pohang has been at the top of the league throughout the season and is currently in the third place with 44 points. It is two points shorter than No. 1 ranking Gimcheon Sangmu.
Coach Park Tae-ha guided the players in his unique relaxed mood, and good atmosphere led to the best performance. Pohang under coach Park Tae-ha boasted solid defense. Rather than pressuring too much, the team focused on defense first, and aimed to score points through rapid attack transition. Pohang is ranking second with 27 goals scored at the minimum. In addition, the team scored several dramatic goals at the end of the game, giving Pohang the nickname of “Taeha Drima.”
Lee Ho-jae is getting many opportunities under the leadership of Park Tae-ha. Last season, Pohang had Zeka, Kim Seung-dae, and Ko Young-joon, so Lee Ho-jae was a substitute. He showed consistent performance with eight goals and one assist during his playing time. 먹튀검증
Lee Ho-jae has been reborn as Pohang’s main gun this season. Zeka, Kim Seung-dae, and Ko Young-joon left the team, and Lee Ho-jae’s shoulders grew heavy as recruit Jorge continued to be below expectations. Lee Ho-jae aimed for opportunities through his heavy activities up front and scored nine goals. In particular, he has displayed strength in penalty kicks and has achieved career-high scores.
Meanwhile, the semifinals of the Korea Cup are played in a home-and-away manner. Pohang will face Jeju for the final ticket. The first leg will be held at Jeju World Cup Stadium on Aug. 21, and the second leg at Pohang Stillyard on Aug. 28. The final will be held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Nov. 30.