Review: Gimpo FC 0-0 Gangwon FC; Promotion/ Relegation Final, First Leg

This Wednesday evening brought an exciting affair for Gimpo FC as they welcomed Gangwon FC for the first leg of the K League Promotion/Relegation final. It has been a dream season for Gimpo; in only their second season in the K League 2, they find themselves only two games away from promotion to the promised lands. Gangwon is the team that stands in their way and will try their best to remain in the top flight of Korean football.

Michael Redmond looked back on the key events from the first leg of this tie as 3,736 fans were in the Gimpo Stadium to watch Gimpo take on Gangwon.

How They Lined Up

Gimpo's manager, Go Jeong-woon, set up with an attack on his mind, starting with a 3-5-2 formation. Lee Sang-wook guarded the goal, making only his fourth start of the season, with a back three of Jo Seong-kwon, Park Kyeong-rok, and Kim Tae-han. The midfield featured Seong Jun-seok and Park Kwang-il on the wings and a central trio of Kim Lee-seok, Kim Jong-suk, and Choi Jae-hyun. Up front was the foreign pairing of Luis Mina and Junior.

Gimpo aimed for goals from Luis Mina, who scored 17 throughout the season, with support from Junior. Kim Jong-suk in the middle made vital passes to push the ball forward, and the wingers tracked back on Gangwon pressure.

For Gangwon, they opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation, playing a more defensive game away from home. The back four consisted of Yoon Seok-yeong, Kim Yeong-bin, Montenegrin Tuci, and Hwang Mun-ki. The defensive midfielders were Seo Min-woo and Alibaev. In front of them were Kim Dae-won, Lee Seong-won, and Brazilian Galego. Up front was the lone striker Lee Jeong-hyeob.

Gangwon struggled for goals this year, recording only 30 in the 38 K League 1 games they played throughout the year. Their top goalscorer, Kim Dae-won, had only four goals.

From the setup of the two teams, it was clear that Gangwon aimed to neutralize Gimpo's attacks and frustrate them going forward, setting up a potential attack vs defence affair on paper.

Pre Kick Off

Both sets of fans were at a fever pitch before the two teams walked out, with chants coming from both sides. Excitement and anxiety filled the stadium. The volume and tempo increased as the clock counted down for kickoff.

As the players walked out, awards were handed out to several Gimpo team members. Manager Go Jeong-woon accepted his K League 2 Manager of the Year award, and Luis received his Best 11 and Top Goalscorer awards.

Once the festivities concluded, it was time for kickoff.

First Half

The first half started with corners from both ends and some assertive tackles, indicating that both teams were eager to gain an early advantage. The first significant chance came in the 8th minute when Gimpo passed the ball across Gangwon's penalty box to Luis. Fortunately for Gangwon, the shot was cleared, and the pressure was soon dissolved. Gimpo continued to push, forcing the ball further up the pitch, with quick bursts of energy from the Gimpo forward attack.

In the 16th minute, Gangwon made their first change as Lee Seong-won was replaced by Yoon Ill-ruk. An excellent save in the 17th minute from Lee Sang-wook, pushing away a shot from Galego, boosted Gangwon's confidence, and they began inviting more pressure. Galego ran forward, bringing the ball into dangerous territory for Gangwon.

The first half-hour passed without either team breaking the deadlock. Galego stood out for Gangwon, intent on breaking Gimpo's defence, but he was denied in the first half. It was a collective effort for Gimpo, with long balls trying to reach Luis and Junior upfront and passes coming from Kim Lee-seok in the middle.

The pace of the game slowed down towards the end of the first half, with referee Jeong Dong-sik signalling for two minutes of added time. On the stroke of halftime, Gimpo's Jo Seong-kwon received the first caution of the game.

 

Second Half

The first minute of the second half saw the first Gangwon player receive a caution, as Seo Min-woo got a yellow card. Tempers flared after a foul on Hwang Mun-ki, leading to both teams being separated by the referee. Lee Jeong-hyeob and Choi Jae-hyun were the instigators.

The game heated up, and a few minutes later, Gangwon received their second yellow card; Yoon Ill-ruk was the offender. Gangwon made their third and fourth substitutions as Vitor Gabriel and Yo In-su replaced Alibaev and Lee Jeong-hyeob.

In the 65th minute, Gimpo made their first substitution as Yoon Min-ho, on his 28th birthday, replaced Kim Jeong-suk. As the game progressed, Gangwon created more chances, and Gimpo's keeper became more active, suggesting a possible goal for the visitors.

With around 15 minutes to go, Gimpo made a double substitution as Kim Min-ho and Kim Seong-min came on for Park Kwang-il and Junior. The 80th minute brought more chances for Gangwon as a free-kick from Yoon Seok-yeong skimmed over the crossbar.

Towards the end of the game, Gimpo made another change as Jang Yoon-ho came on for Choi Jae-hyun. Gangwon then made their final two substitutes as Jo Hyeon-tae and Kim Jin-ho replaced Yoon Ill-ruk and Hwang Mun-ki.

With still nothing else to report, the referee indicated an additional five minutes of added time to the first leg of this tie. Gangwon then came close in the dying minutes as a shot from Kim Yeong-bin skimmed past the bar. The last kick of the game saw more drama as a corner swung into Gangwon's box and fell to Kim Tae-hwan, who fired it over the bar.

All square in the first leg of this promotion/relegation final.

Full Time: Gimpo FC 0-0 Gangwon

 



  

Full-Time Reaction

It was a scrappy affair between the two sides, with credit given to Gimpo for continuing to prove their worth in the K League. Gangwon hung on in the first half but came to life as the second half progressed. It is all to play for now on Saturday between the two sides. Saturday could either end in survival for Gangwon once more, or it could be the end to a fairytale story for Gimpo FC.

 

Next Game

Gangwon FC Vs Gimpo FC

Saturday, 9th December, 14:00 Kick off

Gangneung  Stadium