Gwangju FC has opened a rebound by escaping from its 16th consecutive K-League victory.
Gwangju defeated Jeju United 3-1 in the 10th round of the “Hana Bank K League 1 2024” held at the Jeju World Cup Stadium on Sunday. Gwangju (9 points) secured three points in seven matches, beating Daegu FC (eight points) to become the lowest-ranked team. Gwangju also scored more than multiple points in four matches.
Gwangju is one of the teams receiving the most attention this season. Last season, manager Lee Jung-hyo and Gwangju created a “storm” and ranked third in the league, which is the best in K-League 1 history. After the opening of this season, they beat FC Seoul (2-0 wins) and Gangwon FC (4-2 wins) in succession to gain momentum.
That was the end of consecutive wins, however. The team lost six consecutive games of shock that no one had expected. Coach Lee blamed himself to console the player, but it was not easy to get out of consecutive losses. More than anything else, he lacked concentration in defense.
During the six consecutive losses, Gwangju lost all of its matches by one goal difference. As many as four games were lost due to lost points during extra time in the second half. The two teams had to deal with even more difficulties as key defender Ahn Young-kyu and goalkeeper Kim Kyung-min were given off.
Lee sought changes to reinforce the height of his defense. He changed the position of striker Heo Yul to a defender. Both Lee and Heo Yul made the decision. It is an unusual position change. Heo started as a central defender in the match against Suwon FC in the ninth round and played full time. In the match against Jeju, he was substituted at the 30th minute of the second half to maintain the rear position.
Fortunately, resources that enabled him to participate in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup were a big contributor. Popovich, a defender who played in the Asian Cup as a member of the Australian national team, joined the team early on. In the match against Jeju Island, striker Umji and defender Byun Jun-su returned and started. Umji displayed much lighter physical movement. He successfully secured the penalty kick he secured in the match against Jeju, laying the foundation for his team to escape consecutive losses. Byun also played until the 39th minute in the second half, playing with Ahn Young-kyu. He lost one goal but did his part. 스포츠토토
Gwangju has to play seven games in May alone. It will invite Daejeon Hana Citizen to its home ground on the 6th. Daejeon is also off to a bad start this season. It is ranked 10th with two wins, four draws and four losses (10 points). If Gwangju, which opened the rebound, defeats Daejeon, it will be able to enjoy an upward trend once again.