Recap: Gangwon FC Hwang Munki's Stoppage Time Winner Puts Brakes on Daegu's Run

Gangwon FC claimed a thrilling 2-1 win over Daegu FC on the road in Round 14 of the 2024 Hana Bank K League 1 on Sunday after Hwang Munki's stoppage time goal that became the winner in a feisty battle between the two sides. Daegu FC correspondent Muyeol Jung reviewed the clash between the two citizen clubs at DGB Daegu Bank Park.

Pre-match News

Coming into this fixture, five points were separating Daegu and Gangwon in the table and both teams had been in fine form. The hosts Daegu were particularly confident with Gangwon's visit as the Sky Blues have never lost to the Bears at home since they moved to DGB Daegu Bank Park in 2019.

For Gangwon's visit, Daegu manager Park Changhyun had the strongest team to select with former South Korea international Hong Chul returning from suspension to start. Daegu's young defender Park Jinyoung also continued to keep his place in the back three along with Ko Myeongseok and Kim Jinhyuk.

Gangwon FC Yoon Junghwan filed the usual line-up with Yago and Lee Sangheon upfront in a 4-4-2 formation. Lee Gwangyeon was between the sticks. Yoon expressed his hope that they would break the chain of their winless streak at Daegu.

Meanwhile, ahead of the kick-off, Cesinha's 60 goals and 60 assists achievement was celebrated in a full house. The Brazilian expressed his gratitude to his fans for their amazing support. He also surprised the fans by revealing that he is going to be a dad of a daughter.

Cesinha's Sole Effort Amid Gangwon's Dominance

From the beginning, the visitors did not shy from going forward; the Bears tried to break down Daegu's defence through direct passes around the box and put the ball into the final third. The best chance fell to forward Yago who hit the bar with a fine header in the 6th minute.

While Gangwon's dominance was continuing in the first half, Daegu's game plan was quite simple; the Sky Blues were trying to capitalise on the Bear's mistakes in the build-up. The Sky Blues’ chances mostly came from Daegu's talisman Cesinha when the Brazilian had two key interceptions in Gangwon's build-up and showed off an individual effort. Other than that, Gangwon effectively controlled Daegu's attacks, closing down on the flanks. Despite the efforts, the first half ended level.

Gangwon's Resolution and Determination

The second half began with no change made at the break and saw a breakthrough within ten minutes from the restart. Gangwon midfielder Kim Yiseok opened the scoring with a left-foot effort after he feinted off defenders near the penalty box. The opener soon made things more interesting for the remaining 40 minutes. Daegu manager Park made triple changes with Jang Sungwon, Go Jaehyeon, and Kim Youngjun on and showed his desire to backfire. It didn’t take that long until that change almost immediately worked out. From a distance, substitute Jang Sungwon bent the ball into the top corner where Gangwon shot stopper Lee Gwangyeon could not reach it and put Daegu fans in an uproar.

Towards the end of the game, both teams were fighting hard to get the second of the afternoon, which gradually made the game wide-open. Daegu had a great chance on the counter through a combination of Cesinha and Edgar, but were not clinical. Later on, Gangwon's resolution and determination paid off in the end. During the stoppage time, Hwang Moonki sneaked in between Daegu's defenders and slotted home with composure and regained Gangwon's lead. Afterwards, the Bears managed to hold onto their lead until the final whistle went.

Post-match Interview

The Bears' manager Yoon Jong-hwan spoke to the press after their win that he was glad to see that jinx (Gangwon's winless streaks at Daegu) being broken in the end. He complimented his players by saying "I expected this game to be tough but our lads played well despite the difficulty in playing against Daegu and they are getting better and better every game without having ups and downs in their games."

He also revealed that he has a good feeling with this team this year. He said, "Today's game was paramount for us, preparing for the next three in a space of a week and I have a good feeling of us being as a team and I'd like to extend my gratitude to the traveling fans today."

Meanwhile, Sky Blues manager Park Changhyun lamented the result. He told the press in deep disappointment, "I am gutted about today's result in what is a six-pointer against a team that we need to catch up."

 Looking back on the game, he didn't forget to mention Park Sejin who made a crucial mistake that led to Gangwon's goal. He sent a warm consolation by saying "We all learn from mistakes and he doesn't need to put his head down for that. One day we will win because of him and he just needs to for".

What's Next?

Daegu FC will travel northwards to take on Suwon FC for a midweek game, while Yoon Junghwan's Gangwon FC will host Jeonbuk Hyundai at home.