It has been an unforgettable day for Yeom Ki-hoon, head coach of Suwon Samsung. Suwon played a first round match of Hana Bank K League 2 2024 at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 3rd. It was Suwon’s first game in the second division, which was directly relegated to the bottom of K League 1 last year.
In addition, it was Yeom’s official debut as a coach. Yeom, who debuted as a pro in 2006, played for Jeonbuk Hyundai and Ulsan Hyundai before playing for Suwon Samsung from 2010. He gave Suwon Samsung a total of three FA Cup titles (2010, 2016, 2019). Yeom, who was a spiritual leader, delayed his retirement last year and was spending his last season as a playing coach. Then, he took the mound as a firefighter in a surprise move when his team was on the verge of being demoted. He succeeded Kim Byung-soo as acting coach in September last year.
However, the team failed to prevent Suwon from being demoted. Yeom took the helm after the season ended and took on the heavy responsibility of promotion. There were concerns as he was a novice coach, but Suwon believed in the legend of its team.
He showed great confidence. “I do not think that I will lose,” Yeom said, displaying strong commitment. It seemed that foreign player Mulic scored a goal in the 21st minute of the first half and was cruising. However, defender Cho Yoon-sung was sent off with a red card in the 41st minute of the second half while blocking counterattack, putting his team in a numerical inferiority position. Chungcheongnam-do Asan’s free kick was then hit by the post, wiping away its chest. Fortunately, Mulic scored a fantastic free kick at the end of the first half to secure the victory. Although he allowed a comeback goal in the second half, he kept his lead to the end and won 2-1.
“It was hard to win the K-League 2 as well as the K-League 1,” Yeom said. “As the Asan players had more experience in the second division than us, the team had a tough game. Still, the team showed scoring ability and ability to withstand being outnumbered. I felt confident.”
There is no satisfaction. Yeom said the performance of the opening match was around 50 percent. Due to the ejection in the first half, it was difficult for him to perform properly. “I explained it to the players, but there was a part where they did not come out of the stadium. I shouldn’t think that the players recognized it. What I think and what the players think are different. We need more demands and more awareness,” Yeom said.
“There was a limit to showing what I could do because one player was not good enough. I think I can show what I expected in the next game,” he said. 메이저 토토사이트