The #KLeagueFM17 Challenges: Citizens Unite! [June '17]
Previous Instalments: Pre-season '16 [Part 1], Pre-season '16 [Part 2], March '16, April '16, May '16, June '16, July '16, August '16, September '16, Post-Split '16, FA Cup Final '16 [Preview], FA Cup Final '16, Pre-Season '17 [Part 1], Pre-Season '17 [Part 2], March '17, April '17, May '17
The KFA has had a scheduling nightmare, somehow coming to the conclusion that eight league games per team plus the FA Cup in a single calendar month is what the public clearly desires, especially as Korea enters the start of its relentlessly hot summer spell.
With our deteriorating finances to take into account, our office air conditioning has been limited to a paltry thirty minutes per day, forcing a few of us to take up residence in the nearby high school's English classroom in exchange for taking part in an after school English program on the side. It makes sense seeing as half of our team recently has been made up of students from here.
Co-teacher Kim Byung-ji and I are in the process of teaching our students/potential line up "Football English" when a familiar looking student points out that the Korean U20s have been knocked out of their country's World Cup and he is back in class after a few weeks off, wanting to know what the homework is. As he lacks a self-constructed paper "name tent" on his desk (that also features his likes, hobbies and preferred on-field position), my co-teacher points out that it is in fact Nam Min-woo, a face I had long forgotten about after last month's inclusion of so many youngsters. I ask him if he fancies playing against FC Seoul tomorrow and he jumps at the chance.
Any hopes Velkoski would score and lead us to a first win in six before his departure were in vein however, as he only managed to find the post in what can only be described as an absolute dross encounter against Gwangju. We gained a point in the goalless draw, but left a part of our soul that had undoubtedly died with boredom someway through the second half.
Despite Jeju United currently being on a bit of a bad run, we are still considered huge underdogs for this encounter. It quickly becomes apparent early on though that 100% of their attacks are coming down the right wing via Ahn Hyun-beom. I quickly address this by commanding my players to hack the youngster to bits and we nearly end the half without conceding, until Jeju's Kim Shin-wook somewhat typically fires a shot straight at one of our defenders and the rebound falls to Ahn who accepts the gifted opportunity presented to him to give the islanders the lead.
Without Velkoski we are somewhat toothless, with Oris lacking in confidence and motivation to try and compensate. Jeju are also reduced to ten men late on but we do not have the personnel to capitalise as we fall to a narrow defeat. Seven league games without victory now. I have a feeling the board may start growing concerned.
Ju Min-kyu does bag us a consolation late-on but we end up losing the match 2-1 and fall further down the table. Next up is second placed Jeonnam Dragons. Velkoski is finally back however and so is our centre back Ahn Jae-joon who seems to have been in the sick bay for an incredibly long period of time.
It quickly becomes apparent we are playing the Korean Barcelona, hardly touching the ball for the opening five minutes. Ju Min-kyu, a player who I prefer to contribute to attacking play, is called into not one, but two last ditch tackles against Park Gi-dong within the first ten minutes as the Dragons continue to press. Against the run of play, Velkoski somehow strikes the post in the first 20 minutes but we continue to mostly be under the cosh. We eventually fall behind before half-time but hopefully we can regroup and try and salvage something against this year's K League surprise package.
I tell the boys to not worry, and jsut go out there and do your best. Unfortunately they take my encouraging attitude as an excuse to slack and we are further behind within the first 60 seconds through a Park Gi-dong effort. Two minutes later though and we pull a goal back through a goal that makes us look like the Korean Real Madrid. Some intricate passing eventually finds it's way through to Jin Seong-wook who back heels it back to an on-rushing Ju Min-kyu who slots home to make it 2-1. It all proves in vein however when, twelve mintus later, Park Gi-dong scores from 25 yards to make it 3-1. We fail to muster any kind of reply, and Jeonnam aren't bothered to try and increase their lead at the risk of exposing their defence. Another loss takes our winless run to nine. Next up, the FA Cup.
I seek the advice of the coaching staff I surrounded with myself way back in those optimistic days of January 2016 and we all come to the conclusion that less might be more. We strip the instructions to just an attacking mindset and I reluctantly agree to a 4-4-2 narrow diamond shape. I allow each player to play their position to their most preferred role. I opt for Kevin Oris knowing the reward for progression (a paltry £2.8k) can go towards his mutual termination package next month. We are further boosted by the return of Kim Dae-jung who I put at right back, but our plans our harmed slightly when keeper Cho Su-hyuk pulls up with a thigh injury in training. Looks like the young keeper Kim Kyo-bin will get another go.
Kevin Oris looks set to sabotage my plan to offload him next month via mutual termination by immediately giving away a penalty to the non-league side. Fortunately, Kim Kyo-bin stands tall and saves the shot. We break shortly after and take the lead after Song Si-woo's vicious shot is fumbled into the net by Gimhae's keeper. Ten minutes later and it's two. Oris scoring his first goal of the season to take the lead before the interval. We comfortably progress through the second half, with left back Park Dae-han picking up the third goal (and plenty of plaudits from the fans) ensuring we cruise into the quarter finals.
Fourth placed Suwon are up next, and I see little reason to change things too much. Of course, being a league game, Nam Min-woo has to start as he is a youngster, and I also drop Oris for the superior Jin Seong-wook, but I try my best to keep the team that comfortably saw off Gimhae together. Suwon are managerless after their fickle support lost patience with the man that claimed them the title last season. We could stand a chance here.
The coaches say we should be slightly more frivolous with our attacks here, telling me I should opt for a 3-4-3 diamond formation, pushing wider than in our previous two games. I am in two minds whether to accept their advice, as I think some stability would be beneficial, but they have been reasonably right in their assertions for the last two matches, so I follow their advice once more.
Well, I was certainly right to employ them as we find ourselves up within a minute via Velkoski. Perhaps I should've consulted their advice sooner instead of pursue my own brand of Tiki-Taka and we might not be in this mess. The team look so much stronger and should really be several goals up.
However, the additional goals never come and as we enter the closing stages, a haze of inevitability descends on the stadium. When an onrushing Willian Popp is picked out by a pass deep within the Busan half in injury time, everyone knows what will happen. Despite two defenders being in the vicinity, neither can get across to him in time, and the Brazilian equalises with moments to spare. Football is a cruel sport.
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Oh cruel fate, we meet again. |
Back in Incheon, I sit in the empty air conditioned English classroom, still waiting for Byung-ji to get back to me with the summer camp plan that must be submitted by 4:00pm, when an email comes in from the board. They are still satisfied despite my continued free fall towards the K League Challenge, yet concern is growing about the finances. A second email follows shortly saying the Kevin's compensation package is too expensive to match and the board will not release the player. Looks like I will be stuck with him, even if I have to deregister him from the squad to make way for our hopeful saviour Gavilan.
It's all going wrong.
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The form and style of this piece takes it's inspiration from the fantastic Championship Manager series written by Iain Macintosh on The Set Pieces website. You can read that particular series here.
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